Accidental Transfigurations
by lupinlove
Summary: Lily doesn't really like James until she finds out how big his heart truely is. This is the story of how they come together. Sirius, Remus, and Snape each have their own chapters. Peter get's a tiny part. The chapters are short so i update often.
1. Hogwarts Express

**I don't own any of this. it all belongs to J.K.Rowling. D **

Part I Coming Together

Chapter 1 Hogwarts Express

It was a stormy day as the Hogwarts Express (a scarlet steam engined train) wound its way through the thick and wild countryside of Great Britain; aboard where hundreds of young, under aged, witches and wizards heading for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The train trudged along through the lashing rain like a giant red caterpillar fighting for its survival. Through the melancholy weather, the light from the windows shined outward. In one of the compartments near the end of the train, the lights flickered and then a loud explosion sounded through the air, followed closely by the unmistakable sound of laughter.

The compartment door slid open and four boys ran pell—mell out of it, roaring with laughter. One of them had long black shaggy hair and bright vivacious grey eyes.

As they tumbled into the nearest empty compartment, the boy with the sandy colored hair and bright yellow eyes told the boy with the long black hair through his laughter, "Sirius, I don't think you should have done that."

"Oh, lighten up Mooney, we're not even at school yet, and he had it coming to him." Sirius told him.

"Yeah," this time is was a messy haired boy who spoke; his hazel eyes were sparkling with tears of laughter. "Besides Mooney, do you want Snevillus to tell everyone about your 'furry little problem'?"

Remus smiled at James's reference to his condition. "He wouldn't have found out about if Sirius hadn't of told him about the Whomping Willow in the first place," he announced.

Sirius frowned, "Come on! He was going to stalk you until he saw if for himself! He would have found out about it at some point." Sirius defended himself.

Remus frowned. James lightened the conversation, afraid of where it was heading. "Look, everyone's okay, we're all alive, and Snape's not telling anyone. Dumbledore made him promise on his life that he wouldn't."

"Hey guys! Look, the trolley!" the smallest boy yelled, opening the door and pulling out some sickles from him pockets to buy some candy from the food trolley. His eyes were small and watery blue, his hair thin and blonde. His name was Peter.

"Excellent!" Sirius clapped his hands together. "I'll take three of everything!" he pulled out a whole handful of galleons and gave them to the lady pushing the trolley. Then he sat back down with his lap and pockets full of sweets. He turned to the others "So what will all you be having?"

They all laughed and shook their heads, Remus smiled, "You're unbelievable, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled as he ate his cauldron cake in one bite.

"Hey Prongs, shouldn't you be doing Head duties or something?" Remus asked him as they all sat down with their sweets and began eating.

"I did." James answered. "I walked the whole length of the train. Evans told all the prefects where they had to be and what they had to do."

Peter looked up from eating his chocolate frog, "Lily Evans is head girl!?" he exclaimed.

James shook his head in disbelief, "Wormtail, honestly, Evans was a shoe in for the post."

Sirius said through a full mouth, "Yeah, it was Prongs here that no one could understand how he got the spot of Head Boy." It was a real miracle that anyone could make out what he said.

Peter chuckled. Remus turned to James, "So, how did Miss Evans take the news that you were Head Boy this year?"

James replied, "A lot better than I expected to be honest. At first she wouldn't believe it was me, she kept telling me to give Remus back his badge. I actually had to pull out the letter that said in Dumbledore's writing that I was Head Boy this year before she believed me." Remus laughed as James continued.

"Then when she finally got over the initial shock of it all, she said that it was about time that I grew up and took some real responsibility onto my shoulders."

Sirius mocked her statement by saying, "You know, if I didn't know her better, I would say she thinks you're a little irresponsible."

Remus chuckled, "Irresponsible? How many times this boy has gotten us all into trouble I can't even keep count of anymore."

James laughed. Something red flashed past the window. He jumped up his heart skipping with a beat.

"Hey!"

"Prongs!?"

He had startled all of the boys with his sudden movement, he even caused Sirius to drop all of his sweets onto the floor. They all silenced as he slid the door open. He just barely glimpsed the retreating figure of a red haired beauty as she opened the door leading into the next train carriage and jumped across the gap as the door slid shut behind her.

His sighed as he replayed in his mind her image crossing to the next carriage over and over again. His head repeating one name over and over again.

"Lily Evans?"

"Evans." Remus confirmed Sirius's suspicions.

"Poor bloke," Sirius frowned at his best friends aching heart.

James was smiling dreamily as he leaned his head against the door. Something was telling him that this year was going to be his year. He and Lily were finally going to happen.

James sat down and then announced, "This year it's going to happen. I can feel it."

No one said anything, but they were all hoping for the same thing.


	2. Head Girl

Chapter 2 Head Girl 

Lily huffed as she walked into the compartment and was greeted by a sight of a girl and a boy lounging on the chairs throwing Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Bean into each others mouths. They stopped the instant she walked in.

"What's wrong Lily?" her bright blue eyed brown haired friend asked.

"Potter," she sighed sitting down.

"What did he do this time?" she asked.

"He—He's Head Boy!" she exclaimed. "Rini, he's Head Boy!"

Catherine's jaw dropped, "Head Boy? Seriously?"

The other boy in the compartment was laughing by now. "Though karma Lily." He told her. She glared at him. His brown eyes and dirty blonde hair were completely flyaway as he chuckled.

"Are you sure?" Rini asked her.

"At first I thought he just stole Remus's badge, you know to harass me. But when he pulled out the letter with Dumbledore's writing on it I had no choice but to accept it. James Potter is the new Head Boy." Lily sighed as she unwrapped a chocolate frog.

"Frank! It's not that funny!" Rini reprimanded him.

"Oh, yes it is. He's been trying to get in your pants since third year!" Frank tried to regain his composure. Lily nodded grimly.

"Of all the girls that adore him, of all the girls that, in general, adore the marauders, why is it me he's so hell bent on dating?" Lily asked herself.

Frank smiled, "Because you always tell him off for something or another."

"So what? Shouldn't that make him … I dunno, dislike me all the more?" she asked a little annoyed by Frank right now.

Frank smiled, "My dear Lily, you know nothing about boys and men, do you? James Potter is one of those boys who get whatever they want really. You know how wealthy his parents are. You're a challenge. He has to work to get you."

Lily's jaw dropped. "So when he finally does 'get me' he's going to dump me? I am just a prize to him?"

Frank frowned, "I'm sure he doesn't see you as a prize. It's just that to Potter you're way out of his league. He's belongs with the trouble makers, I mean, he _is_ a Marauder, and you're… not. You're a lot more forgiving and kind that he is. You're opposites. I think he likes that about you. You're big heart. You're like the Golden Snitch to him, but you're flying just out of his reach."

Lily blushed at Frank's explanation. "All the same, he's just going to abuse his power as Head Boy," she said. "Do you know what I just had to clean up?!" she asked, outraged at the remembrance of the event.

"What?" Catherine asked.

"Severus Snape! He was tied up dangling upside from the ceiling, almost completely naked!"

Frank and Catherine were both repulsed and amused by this scene. Lily was simply repulsed and angry with the Marauders, and especially James who, she knew without needing to ask, had done. Even though she and Snape were no longer friends, it didn't mean that she didn't still care for him.

The truth was that she didn't really care about Snape calling her a 'mudblood' it was more the principal of the thing. She had trusted Snape never to betray her, never to hurt her or humiliate her, but he did. Things were different; the world was different, and Snape, he was different.

"He's Head Boy!" she exclaimed, "He should know better!"

"Maybe he had a good reason for what he did?" Catherine tried to defend them.

Lily replied sarcastically, "Oh yes, because they need a reason to pick on Severus Snape."

Frank attempted to bring peace back, "So how was your summer Lily? Rini told me that she spent two weeks with you."

"Yeah, they were great. How come you couldn't meet us in Diagon Alley to get school stuff?"

"Alice wanted to go to the States." Frank smiled.

"How is Alice?" Rini asked. Alice was Frank's girlfriend. She was a year older than Frank so she had already graduated and was training to become an Auror.

"She's great. She's almost passed her Auror training. By June she's expecting to become part of the elite." He told them.

"That's wonderful!" Lily said, "How did your mom take you going to the states with Alice, though?"

Frank frowned, "She didn't like it too much. But I went anyway." Everyone in the compartment knew that Frank's mother, Mrs. Longbottom, did not approve of his relationship with Alice. She was only a year older than Frank, but Mrs. Longbottom was convinced that only the man should be older in the relationship. She also didn't think that an Auror was a very becoming profession for a woman.

Catherine shrugged, "She'll get used to the idea of you two sooner or later."

"But will she?" Frank asked more to himself that them as the train pulled up to Hogsmede station.

They unloaded their trunks and left them sitting in the compartments as they had been instructed to for the past six years of their attendance there. Catherine had exclaimed numerous times over the train ride, "How sad is this? This is out last year here! Then we'll be grownups!"

Lily and James waited until everyone above first year had found a carriage and then each got in their own separate ones; the Marauders in one and Lily, Frank, and Catherine in another. Just as the carriages were beginning to gain momentum, James jumped out of his carriage with the Marauders and hopped into the one Lily was sitting in. Smiling and shaking the rain water out of his hair he took a seat next to Frank.

"Hi all," he said.

Lily glared at him. He smiled back.


	3. Meant to Be

Chapter 3 Meant to Be 

James Potter wiped the rain water from his eyes classes onto his magically dried clothes and placed them back on his face.

"You know, what you did to Snape back there was not pleasant," Lily said matter of factly.

"You do know that Snape isn't pleasant to begin with," he said.

Catherine cut Lily off before she could really tell James off. "Why aren't you with you're Marauding friends? I thought you usually stick together."

"I guess I just jumped into the wrong carriage," he shrugged ruffling his hair, "but it's not so bad if Evan's is here, is it?" he flashed her a big, flirtatious, smile.

"Jumped in the wrong carriage my ass! Why can't you just… oh, I dunno, leave me be?" she retorted.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked.

Frank began, "How was your summer—" Lily cut him off, "You know you're Head Boy!"

James pointed to his badge, "So you believe me now?"

Lily ignored him. "You're supposed to be setting an example for the younger students!"

"I am!" he said seriously, "Who else is going to tell them to beat up slimy, greasy haired gits who are obsessed with the Dark Arts?"

"Oh, that's right. I'm so sorry, continue teaching, please." Lily supplied sarcastically.

James waited a moment before exclaiming, "Hey, Evan's, go out with me?" while ruffling his hair. Lily pulled him by the collar of his robes and shoved him head first out the carriage.

James stood up with mud all over him and yelled as the carriage continued its way along the winding trail to Hogwarts. She heard him yell, "Come on Evans! I'm Head Boy, you're Head Girl! Things don't just happen without a reason you know!"

Lily didn't even dignify that statement with a response.


	4. A Warning

Chapter 4 A Warning 

The very last carriage to make its way toward Hogwarts stopped where James stood in the mud. James saw as a hand pushed the door open and he hopped inside completely covered in mud.

"She didn't take to kindly to you gate crashing I see," Sirius said as James closed the door behind him.

James shook his head, but was smiling.

"Honestly Prongs, I don't know how you manage to keep your hopes up after even that fiasco," Remus told him, helping to clean off the mud from his robes.

"Magic," James supplied. Peter laughed at this answer, perhaps a bit harder than he should have. James really had no reason to grin like he was, but he just couldn't help loving that feeling of Lily shoving him out of the carriage.

The carriage pulled up to the entrance and the four boys jumped out and took their seats at the Gryffindor table. James saw that Lily was sitting with Frank and Catherine near the front of the table.

"Come on, where's the food?" Sirius grumbled.

Remus was shocked, "But you just had a feast on the train ride here!"

"So," Sirius shrugged, "are you saying something about my weight Mooney?"

They all laughed, but were instantly silenced by the beginning of the sorting ceremony.

The Gyffindors gained seven new students, the Hufflepuff received ten, fifteen went to Ravenclaw and fifteen more went to Slytherin.

Then the feast began. Food appeared out of nowhere, and Sirius, who was starving, had piled his plate high with roast chicken, beef, potatoes, and anything else that he could reach. James too had an appetite that could have greatly competed with Sirius's. They two of them began to eat as if they were racing to see who could finish their plate first.

Sirius won, licking his plate clean and then refilling it with more food to start over again.

"Do you even have a stomach? Where are you putting this all Padfoot?" Remus asked incredulously.

Sirius's mouth was too full to talk so instead his gave Remus a huge smile that had potato and broccoli chucks sticking out of the crevices between his teeth and bulging cheeks.

Peter who was drinking his pumpkin juice laughed and began coughing uncontrollably, his face turning an excellent shade of red. James patted him on the back as he asked Remus when the next full moon was.

Remus muttered without looking at him, "The week after next."

"Excellent!" James clapped his hands together. "I was thinking we could check out those mountains all the way past Hogsmede."

Sirius swallowed his food with a huge gulping noise and said "Yeah! I always wondered if trolls live there!"

Remus shook his head, "Documented Troll tribes live more toward France."

"Oh, don't be a kill-joy Mooney." Sirius said. "Oh! Look, dessert!" He pulled a giant piece of custard pie toward him and began eating just as ravenously as before.

After the feast was finished, all of the Prefects lined up the new first years and marched them out to find their new common rooms. James had to depart from the rest of the Marauders as he made his way to the headmaster's study, Lily, who was a little farther away was also telling Catherine and Frank that the Head Boy and Girl were required to see Dumbledore after the opening feast for some last minute notices.

Both James and Lily walked along the corridor in silence as they made their way to Professor Dumbledore's study. James kept trying to make polite conversation, but Lily refused to talk to him.

Finally when they reached the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's living quarters, James gave it the secret password, "Ice mice", and it moved aside to reveal a spiraling staircase.

They knocked twice on the door, and heard Dumbledore's voice ring out, "Come in."

James opened the door and followed Lily into the room.

"Ah, Miss Evans, how lovely to see you again. Mr. Potter, I hope you're not up to anything so early in the school year." Dumbledore chuckled. His white hair and beard were long and thick, and his blue eyes twinkled with a whimsical sparkle.

James laughed as Dumbledore offered them seats. They each sat. "I just thought you two might like to know that since you are Head Boy and Girl this year, you will have certain privileges that many of the younger students do not. You will have your own bathrooms up on the seventh floor, as well as your own common room filled with books and any extra studying equipment you may need throughout the year. You also have the power to give detentions and deduct house points if any student is misbehaving. Any questions?" he looked to the both of them.

Lily asked, "Er….Where is the room located sir, and what's the password?"

Dumbledore told her that it was the picture of a lion on the seventh floor, and the password was "Sugar Quills".

"If that is all, I think its best you are off to bed. You have a long day ahead tomorrow, but I daresay you'll want to stay up all night catching up with your friends anyway." He ushered them out. "Oh, James," James turned to him, "one moment please," he asked. Lily left and shut the door softly behind her.

"James, I am not particularly happy with what happened on the train ride here, I hope you know. You're Head Boy now. I was hoping for you to act a little more responsible than that. Think of what he knows, James, if you push Severus Snape too far, he may reveal Mr. Lupin's secret to the whole school." He was so serious, that James felt guilt growing in his stomach and spreading through his body.

"Yes, sir. It won't happen again." James promised immediately.

"Good man." Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder. "You may leave. Check out the bathrooms, they're pretty spectacular," Dumbledore suggested as James walked out of the door.

* * *

Hey all! Thanks for the reviews! They make me smile. 


	5. A Rose

Chapter 5 A Rose 

Sirius, Remus and Peter were walking toward the portrait of the fat lady. Sirius had his wand out and was pointing at various students near them. He made one second year's hat fly off and spin just out of his reach. He made another student's robes wrap so tightly around him that he looked like he just might have strangled to death if Remus had not preformed the counter jinx. Just as Sirius was pulling a third years underwear above his head, James yelled for them to wait up.

They all stopped what they were doing and watched as he ran toward them. When he stopped, Sirius muttered, "Watch this."

James turned so that he could face where Sirius's wand was pointing and saw the back of an extremely pretty girls robes pulled out and then snapped back. The girl yelped with surprise and turned to face the four boys. She glowered at them as she and her friend walked away maintaining as much dignity as they could.

James and Sirius and Peter roared with laughter. Remus alone spoke, "You are all so mature," as he rolled his eyes and continued his journey to the Gryffindor common room.

"So what did Dumbledore want?" Remus asked.

"Just to tell us that the heads have their own common room on the seventh floor," he supplied.

"Let's go!" Sirius shouted and took off for the seventh floor. They found the portrait of the lion and said "Sugar Quills". The lion slid down and formed a sort of staircase to allow the boys entrance into the common room.

They all looked around before splitting up. Remus went straight for the bookcases lining the walls and started looking through all of the titles with such gusto that if Sirius hadn't of been so intrigued by the bathroom he might have taken the Mickey out on him.

There were two desks facing the walls opposite of each other. James was sitting at the one desk that had pictures of his family and him and the Marauders all over it. There were quills and inks of all different colors in one drawer. In another was an endless supply of parchment that never seemed to go down, no matter how much of it he took out.

Peter was bouncing on the all of the sofas and chairs testing out how comfortable each one was, and how they each positioned themselves around the fire.

James got up to find Sirius, but Sirius was standing by the other desk holding up a picture of a red haired girl and a blonde one. Sirius asked trying to hold his laughter in, "Who is this? She looks like a horse!"

"Very sensitive this one is, isn't he?" Remus asked looking at the picture over Sirius's shoulder.

James took the picture from Sirius to get a better look, and though he didn't say it, he did agree with Sirius. The girl looked like a tall blonde horse. "I dunno, probably her sister?" he said, placing the picture back from where Sirius took it. There were loads more pictures lining her desk. Some where with Catherine and Frank, others were of what James could only guess was her family.

The door slip open again, and James ruffled his hair as he saw Lily, Catherine and Frank all walk in. He smiled and gestured to the room, "Pretty cool, eh?"

"Cool is an understatement," Catherine said. Lily, like Remus had walked straight over to the bookcases.

"We get this whole room to ourselves!" Lily asked him incredulously. James nodded. "Woah," she let out in disbelief.

Frank sat down on the chairs by the fire and groaned with pleasure at the comfort that they provided. "Lily, I am hanging out here every single day for the rest of the year."

Lily laughed and Frank's statement. Everyone heard a scream from behind the door leading into the next room. They all ran in, wands aloft.

"Look at your bathroom! If you can even call it that!" Catherine was hysterical. "Lily, it's a freakin' swimming pool!"

"Rini, calm down. Just take some deep breaths," Lily was telling her. She wouldn't listen.

"Lily! Look! Look at it!" she pulled Lily's head around so that she could fully take in what she was having a minor meltdown over.

Lily's jaw dropped. The basin in the middle of the floor was close to five feet deep. It was at least half the size of the room. On the one wall there stood towel hangers. Frank yelled with excitement, "Everyone, grab a knob and turn."

Everyone did so. They watched as thick foaming bubbles issued out of one pipe and green and purple water came from another. There was one in particular that when the water hit the bottom of the basin it made huge arcs. There was even one that looked like crystal clear water, but when you placed your hands into the issuing jet, it turned to whatever your favorite flower was.

Catherine, who had been the first to discover this, let out a yell of surprise as a sunflower burst from the water and began floating on the surface. Frank followed and laughed as a petunia sprang from the drain. Peter followed their suit, from his sprang a carnation. Sirius and Remus each stuck their hands under and out came a lotus flower and a Gardenia.

It was Lily's turn to put her hand under the water, she did so and out sprang a string of forget me not flowers. James dipped his hand under the water and out bloomed a red rose. Sirius sighed, "Always the romantic one, Prongs is," as James picked it up and placed it in Lily's hair.

Lily untangled it from her hair and threw it gently back into the water. The taps were all turned off now, and the basin was completely full. They all stood back and admired the effect of the flowers dancing on top of the water's surface. It was really pretty.


	6. First Day Back

Chapter 6 First Day Back 

Classes the next day were more trying than ever before. All of the things that Lily seemed to have learned over her six years there had slipped out of her mind and was taking its time returning. The N.E.W.T.s were all the teachers could talk about. By the time dinner had begun Lily was thoroughly stressed out over all of the work they were assigned. She had only one class that morning, Transfiguration, and the new Professor, McGonagall, had assigned the whole class to write two essays on metamorphamagi and anamagius. Her potions Professor, Slughorn, had told the class to each look up how the strengthening solution intensifies certain poisons and after too much is added it begins to weaken it. Arithmacy was an entirely different story. Potions was her easiest class, and McGonagall's essays would only take her a few hours in the library, but Professor Vector had assigned thirty very complicated and in depth equations that were going to take Lily the whole night to finish.

After dinner Lily, Catherine, and Frank all went down to the Head common room.

"This day has been the worst," Catherine said slumping down on the chair in the common room. Frank followed in suit.

"Did you listen to McGonagall telling us about the N.E.W.T.s?" he said.

"Yeah," Lily sighed placing her books on her desk, "but they can't be worse than the O.W.L.s, can they?"

"I hope not," Catherine said, "I'll just be lucky if I can get through all this work before it's due," she sighed.

"I know!" Lily exclaimed. Frank was nodding off to sleep. Lily giggled, "Rini, look at Frank. He's passed out!"

Catherine giggled, and then gasped. She pulled out her quill and began scribbling onto his face a little goatee and unibrow. Lily suppressed a laugh as she pulled out her quill and drew a little mole above his lip.

Catherine pulled out a camera, as Lily and her got on either side and took the picture of Frank asleep in between their smiling faces.

"We are definitely putting that up on our wall," Lily snickered looking at the moving Polaroid.

Catherine and Lily had turned on the wizarding radio and pulled out their books. While Lily was trying to start her Arithmacy homework Catherine had started on her Transfiguration work.

"What is the difference between an anamagius and a metamorphamagi anyway?" Catherine asked Lily, who shrugged and told her to go look at some of the books on the wall, she was really concentrating on her work. As Catherine got up and walked toward the bookcase the door slid open and three boys ran in and closed the door quickly behind them laughing as something hit the door.

Lily looked up at Remus, Peter and Sirius laughing on the floor. She hissed, "Keep it down! Frank's sleeping!"

"Oh, sorry!" they laughed, and they tried to keep it down, but they only wound up laughing harder. Frank grunted and then blinked. He looked to his surroundings, "How long was I out?" he asked.

"About an hour." Lily told him. "What is wrong with all of you? What is so funny?"

Peter wheezed, "James!"

Lily rolled her eyes, as James came crawling into the common room wearing a bra cup on his head like a hat and the trims of his robes were smoking.

"Thanks for the help back there, Padfoot," James punched him.

Sirius pulled the bra off of James's head, "Whose d'you reckon this belongs to?"

"Hey!" Catherine yelled, "What the bloody hell!" she ripped the bra out of Sirius's grip, "This is mine!" she slapped him.

Sirius collapsed again laughing. "You immature prats! How did you even get into the girls dormitory?" Catherine yelled.

Sirius laughed, "I didn't, Peter did."

Everyone stared at Peter. Lily wasn't sure if she should be angry or impressed with him. "How?" she asked him.

Peter smiled haughtily, "I have my ways."

Frank was laughing, "That still doesn't explain why James was the one wearing a bra on his head and dawning singed robes."

James answered, "All I did was walk into the common room and Peter, Sirius and Remus are all running at me. The next thing I know I've got a bra on my head and four girls on the war path screaming bloody murder, so I bolted. They shot me a good few times too." He turned around to show them robes which were singed all over the back.

"Why the bloody hell did you even need a bra, Sirius?" Catherine yelled.

"Peevesy challenged me to a water balloon fight this afternoon, and I needed a launcher. This was perfect!" he explained.

"You know, I really should blast you into oblivion, but instead I think I'll just … Accio Sirius's underwear!" Catherine yelled.

Before Sirius knew what was happening, he felt his boxers come flying out, painfully, from his pants. He doubled over on the floor wheezing in pain rather than laughter, and Catherine danced around the room holding his boxers aloft.

"Oh! Look at the little pink pygmy puffs! How cute!" she exclaimed pinching his flushed cheeks. "I think this will look perfect placed right here above the fireplace!" she pinned his boxer shorts to the wall.

James ran to help her pin it up, and as he passed Frank, he said, "You know, you've got a little something here," he gestured to his upper lip. Frank wiped the spot, but didn't see anything come off on his finger.

"Huh?" he grunted dimwittedly.


	7. The Two Way Mirror

Chapter 7 The Two Way Mirror 

Two weeks had passed since school began and Lily was finding it difficult just to finish all of her work on time. She often times wondered how James could manage being Quidditch Captain, Head Boy and a Marauder all at once, but he did.

They were both sitting alone in the common room studying. Lily was sitting at her desk and James at his. Their backs were to each other, their quills scribbling furiously.

James pulled up a piece of parchment and scribbled a little note on it. He sealed it with his wand and made it hover over to Lily's desk where it landed right in front of her. She tapped the paper and it opened, inside she read: 'Hogsmede? 12 o'clock?'

She scribbled underneath it, 'In your dreams,' and sent it back to James.

James opened it and frowned. He scribbled back underneath her response, 'why not?' and sent it back to her.

'Because you're annoying me.'

'What if I stop annoying you? Will you go with me then?'

'No.'

'Give me a chance! I've changed!'

'Don't make me laugh.'

'Come on, please?' he turned to give her a puppy dog face.

'Aw… cute face… not a chance.'

'Anything, name anything and I'll do it.' He was beginning to run out of paper.

'Jump off a bridge.'

James got up from his desk; Lily turned and asked, "Where are you going?"

James replied matter of factly, "To find a bridge."

"Oh, my god, I was being sarcastic, sit down."

James sat down. "Please Lily, go with me to Hogsmede?"

Lily rolled her eyes, "No! Now please drop it!"

"But—" he started, she cut him off.

"No! I have a lot of work to do, and I don't need your whining added on top of it too! Go play Quidditch if you can't sit still. Or find your friends. Honestly," she turned around trying to focus on her work.

"I can't, Padfoot's in detention," he said sadly.

"Well what about Remus or Peter?"

"I dunno where they are," he told her.

James got up and sat down on the couch by the fire and pulled out a mirror. Lily shook her head as she thought 'how narcissistic can one person be?'

She heard him said calmly and clearly into the mirror "Sirius Black".

"Hey Prongs! Bored?" Sirius's voice said.

"Yeah. I'm just sitting here. Do you happen to know when Mooney and Wormtail are? I can't find them anywhere on the map," he asked the Sirius in the mirror.

"Nope. Maybe they went to Hogsmede?" James nodded. That was a possibility. "D'you know what Filtch has made me do?" Sirius asked James through the mirror.

"Clean the trophy case by hand again?"

"Nah, he's making me clean out the bedpans in the hospital wing! This is disgusting. I should just make Kreacher do it." James laughed.

"Do you think he'd still listen to you?"

"I dunno, my mum might have told him not to since I did a runner, but…" he shrugged. "So how's our favorite Head Girl doing?"

"She's a little annoyed at the moment," Lily answered from the corner. Sirius and James chuckled. "How are you talking to him anyway?" she asked. She lost focus when James pulled out that stupid mirror.

"This?" James asked, holding the mirror up to show Sirius's face looking at her. "Sirius bought it a while ago."

"Yeah, fifth year. Pretty handy, eh?" Sirius told her happily.

Lily took a seat next to James and looked at the mirror. "So you two just say each others names into the mirror and you can talk to one another no matter where you are?" she asked.

Sirius nodded, "Yes'm."

"Not bad…" Lily nodded her head in approval.

Sirius smiled up at her nice and big. He turned his head to show them his profile and then whipped it back around to face them worried. "I gotta go, I think I hear someone," and his face disappeared leaving James and Lily's reflections lingering in Sirius's place.

"You two are unbelievable. How you come up with half the things you do, I have no idea," Lily told her.

"Well," James ruffled his hair, he had never sat so close to Lily before without her yelling at him to go away, "when you're as determined as we are I guess anything is possible. Plus, Remus is a pretty sly old fox when it comes to evading trouble. He's gotten us out of some tight squeezes many times."

They sat in silence for a while, before Lily got up to put away the books lying on their desks. "You know, when you're like this you aren't so bad," she told him placing _The Healing Guide to Accidental Magical Mistransformations_ back on the shelf.

James looked at her from the couch as she said this, "Really?" his eyebrows raised as she made that statement.

"Oh, boy, here we go," she muttered to herself as James asked her to go with him to Hogsmede next weekend.

"You know, I try being nice, and what happens? I just get hit on," she collected her school books and began heading for the door.

"Aw, come on! It was a joke!" James raced after her with his bag slung over his shoulder.

* * *

GAH!!! i love the mirror!!! I think it's awesome! 


	8. Friends

Chapter 8 Friends 

It was Thursday night, just before sunset, and Sirius was jumping around the room in excitement. The full moon was approaching. Remus had been looking ill all day and was sent down to the infirmary after dinner.

Only James, Sirius and Peter knew the truth about Remus's condition, that he was a werewolf. They didn't care in the least though. Ever since they had figured out Remus's little secret, they had tried their best to help him with his transformations, to make them easier for him to endure. They could not, as humans, keep him company during the full moons because as a werewolf he could not control his mind and remember things like a regular person could. Therefore, they had decided that the best way to keep their friend company was to become anamagi. They spent three years learning how to become Anamagis, and in their fifth year they had become successful. Unlike Remus, Sirius, James and Peter could each turn into a different animal at will.

Since Remus was to be taken down the secret passageway under the Whomping Willow and into the Shrieking Shack by the school Nurse, Madam Bonaë, the three Marauders decided that it was best to meet Remus at the Shrieking Shack once they were sure that the nurse had come back to Hogwarts.

Around nine o'clock on that night, the Marauders left the Gryffindor common room and headed out towards the school grounds. They all huddled underneath James's invisibility cloak when the reached the front doors, then sprinted out toward the Whomping Willow. Once they reached the pugnacious tree, Peter transformed into a rat and prodded the knot on the root of the tree, which instantly froze to reveal a secret passageway. They three boys slipped down into the passageway as the tree came back to life.

Afraid that Remus might have transformed earlier than they had expected him to, Sirius and James transformed.

James turned into a handsome stag. His antlers were so large and tall that he had to bow his head to keep them from scraping the ceiling. Sirius became a big shaggy black haired dog; his tail was wagging with the excitement that could only be brought about by the idea of danger and adventure.

As they ascended the stairs that they knew leaded into the Shrieking Shack, they heard horrible and painful howling diffuse through the air followed by scratching and biting sounds. Sirius, as a dog, opened the door and the three animals walked into the room. Bright, glowing, yellow eyes were staring out at them through a wolfish face, his ears and tufty tail was still and silent, watching the approaching animals hungrily, ready to pounce at any given time.

The werewolf Remus howled up at the moon, and then turned back to investigate his new company.

The stag that was James Potter said to the werewolf in only a language that animals could understand 'Friends.'

The werewolf looked around. The little rat that was squeaking on the floor around James's legs had caught his attention. Something in his mind flickered, and image seemed to replay in his wolfish mind of this same rat running along side him. He looked to the dog that was Sirius, his tail was wagging playfully waiting for something exciting to happen. The dog barked, and his memory seemed to flood back into his mind, like gates crashing open.

'Friends,' the werewolf Remus looked around, his little tufty tail wagging. Sirius was delighted by Remus's recognition and barked and danced around him. The wolf's eyes followed the dog that was dancing around him in circles with delight.

They left the Shrieking Shack and didn't return until dawn the next morning. Sirius and James had to support the weakening werewolf as he began his retransformation back into the Remus Lupin that everyone knew and loved. Peter was up ahead keeping a lookout for anyone who might be on an early morning stroll through the forest.

They managed to bring Remus back through the passageway and into the Shrieking Shack without being seen, and they laid his unconscious werewolf form onto the floor boards. As the sunlight touched his face he began to shrink back into a human, his sandy hair lay covering his face. His eyes were closed and he was fast asleep.

James, Sirius and Peter never liked leaving Remus here to wake up alone, but they could not ever allow the Madam Bonaë to ever find out that they had become illegal anamagis' without experiencing more trouble than even they would like to have caused. They made sure that the sleeping Remus was as comfortable as possible before heading out of the secret passageway and back to Hogwarts. When they reached the school grounds, James threw back over the three of them the invisibility cloak and they all walked sleepily into school.

It was six in the morning before all three of them fell into their beds and slept for the one hour that they had free before their first period class that day.

* * *

D i don't know... i always imagined that the school nurse would have to escort remus to and from the SS really early in the morning every month. i actually really lik the idea of James and Sirius and Peter helping Remus back up to the school, but that would draw attention to him, four boys out really early in the morning and one looking sickly. w/e ... this chapter might change, but probably only a little. anywho... there's a whole lot more left!!! D so those that really like it, rejoice! those who don't... i'm sorry... D 


	9. The Day After

Chapter 9 The Day After 

It was first period and Sirius and James were leaning on each other sleeping soundly. Peter had his head in his book and was drooling all over the page. Remus was resting in the infirmary by now.

The whole class was looked at the three boys with revulsion; they slept with such gusto. Professor Newton had put his finger to his lips in order to tell the class to stay as quiet as possible. He picked up a particularly heavy book and walked over to where the three boys sat sleeping soundly. He brought the book up above his head and then slammed it down onto the desk they were sleeping at. Sirius and James jumped up and knocked each other in the head while Peter fell off his desk and in the process hit his head on the desk corner.

"Oh! How lovely to see you all awake in my class! Please, try to do it more often," Professor Newton invited them. The whole class failed at suppressing their laughter.

"Sorry Professor," James murmured rubbing his head, and Sirius doing the same, "we were up late last night studying."

Professor Newton raised his grey eyebrows, "With you being Head Boy I would hope that you would care so much about your grades, but please, refrain from sleeping in my class again or I will assign you a thirty foot long paper on how to conjure up spells to protect a certain spot from being infiltrated by dark magic," he turned back to continue the lesson.

None of the boys fell asleep again that afternoon. They went down during lunch to visit Remus in the infirmary and then continued on to their final class. They even skipped dinner and went straight back up to their dormitory and slept until the next morning; their work load was piling up to dangerous levels but there was no way that they would be able to do it half asleep.

* * *

yes yes... i know this one is short too. but... i don't want to over exaggerate on certain things. I like to keep it simple and sort of give an idea of how the next day went. The really long chapters are the really detailed ones.

and those of you who like quidditch, there's a quidditch practice in the next chapter and james is exceedingly arrogant!

lol i think he's halirious when he's pompous.


	10. Quidditch Practice

Chapter 10 Quidditch Practice 

It rained all day on the twenty first of September. Over his eggs, James groaned, "It's raining cats and dogs." The Gryffindors had a hard time scheduling practices since school had first began. Between the three other house teams, James could hardly find an opening to train.

"It's okay… it's not that bad outside," Remus tried to cheer him up, but James just shrugged.

"I better get going. We can't have the Captain late to practice," he pushed his eggs to the side and stood up slinging his broom over his shoulder in a sort of glum march.

He really didn't fancy having to race around on a broomstick out in the ice cold rain, but if they didn't take this opportunity to train they may loose their one chance this month to train. James jogged down to the Quidditch field as fast as he could without slipping and falling on the wet ground. He was the first one there, but after a minute both Frank and Catherine had come down from the great hall, completely dripping.

"Everyone's on their way now," Frank told him shaking the water from his hair. Frank was an exceptional Keeper; hardly ever did he allow the Quaffle to go through the hoops. Catherine lay down on the bench and fell asleep. She may not have been a morning person but she was an excellent chaser.

The locker room door opened and in came four bleary eyed Gryffindors. The smallest and youngest of which was Philip Sanders, a second year, he was an okay seeker with a lot of growing potential. The two beaters, Sandy Toft and Damien Martinez, were both fourth years and had the best aim that James had ever seen. The other chaser, Philomina Peterson, was always there to catch the Quaffle if James or Catherine dropped it.

"Okay, everyone out on the field, let's get started now that we're all here," James pulled out the truck with all of the Quidditch balls in it and brought it outside, as everyone took off into the wet sky. They all did a lap before they went to their assigned spots. James announced that he was going to release the Bludgers and the two beaters raced to meet them. He took out the Snitch and Sanders rode off after it. Then he took the Quaffle and threw it to Philomina who shot towards Frank to score, but he blocked his goal hoops and threw the ball to James who was now soaring through the air.

Even though it was pouring rain, the team practiced for close to three hours, and James flew down feeling particularly happy with how it had gone. They all retreated to the locker rooms and were drying off.

There was a knock at the door and James, who was picking up a dry and clean shirt to put on, heard Lily's voice yell through it, "Hurry up you guys! There's a good lunch today!"

James smiled wide and threw his shirt back on the bench as he opened the door. He ruffled his hair as he spoke, "Hi, beautiful." She was standing underneath a red and gold stripped umbrella.

Lily rolled her eyes and looked past his skinny torso, "Where's Frank and Rini?"

They both heard two voices yell, "Coming!" and heard the locker doors slam shut and two bodies emerged from the crowd.

Catherine ran to Lily's side under the umbrella, and said to James, "Put on a shirt, will you? No one wants to see that."

Frank and Lily laughed.

James looked offended, "I just thought you might like to see what a God's physique looks like," and he started flexing.

"Oh, honestly, even Sirius isn't that conceited," Frank shook his head at James who laughed. Frank dove under Lily's umbrella and the three of them set off back to the castle.

* * *

yay! quidditch! i know i made James a chaser when he's really a seeker (look at the movie plaque in SS/PS) but i like the idea of him playing chaser more than seeker. I think it seperates James from Harry. I don't like it when they make the father and the son too similar... it's proabably the same reason why i don't like ginny too much either, but w/e... James is chaser, that's that. ; )


	11. Sud Wars

Chapter 11 Sud Wars 

October rolled around, and school seemed to really be in full swing. The work had become harder and harder. There were many more quizzes and tests than ever before, and every class seemed to have a test at least once a week.

James and Lily were both sitting at their desks again in the Heads Common room. She had folded a piece of parchment over many times to form a flower and was now twirling it with her wand above her head. James was watching a little toy figure of a broomstick fly around from his desk. The broomstick zoomed under his chair, through his hair, and all over the room.

Lily sighed as the door to the common roomed opened, and the marauders walked in.

"Padfoot, what are you wearing?" James asked looking at him. He was in swimming trunks.

"I'm going swimming, Prongsy!" he announced happily.

"Where? The lake's outside," he said.

Remus shook his head, "He means your bathroom."

Sirius opened the door and ran in, turning all the taps.

"You have got to be kidding me," James laughed.

Sirius shook his head, "Nope." He turned off all the taps, and yelled "Cannon Ball!" and jumped in. The moment he touched the water, lotus flowers erupted on the surface. He came up shaking his head like a dog.

"Come on in, the water's great!" he told them as he floated on his back, blowing bubbles to them.

Remus laughed, "It should be great, you're in a bathtub," James pulled off his robes and jumped in with Sirius (little rosebuds erupted out of nowhere), and began splashing him.

"Come on Mooney," James and Sirius began to splash his robes. Remus finally caved and took off his robes and shoes and neatly piled them up in the corner before doing a belly flop into the tub. James and Sirius cheered as gardenia's formed on the surface.

Peter slipped in gently after taking off his robes and swam towards the other boys who began dunking each other, there were little carnations floating in his wake.

Lily was standing in the doorway watching all of them. "You know," she said, "if I didn't know any better, I'd have to say you all are a little crooked."

They stopped splashing, James and Sirius looked to each other. They had soap suds on top of their heads. Without saying a word, they both swam for the edge of the pool and hopped out. Lily's eyes flicked from one to the other as they started walking toward her with that all too familiar mischievous glint in their eyes. She started backing out through the door.

They ran for Lily. She bolted. But Sirius, who was much faster and had longer legs, beat her to the exit. Lily backed away looking for some place to hide where they couldn't catch her, but she had run into James, who grabbed and held her there. Sirius ran over and grabbed her legs as James took hold of her arms and they began walking her back into the bathroom.

Lily was kicking and yelling for them to put her down, but they would not relinquish their grip. Lily looked around to her last hope, "Remus, please! Help me," she begged.

Remus lifted himself out of the water, and said, "Wait." They stopped where they stood that the edge of the pool, their jaws dropped, he was supposed to be on their side. Lily had stopped protesting and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you Remus," she said, "at least one of you has sense."

Remus walked over, "This is entirely wrong," he reprimanded them. "At least take off her shoes before you throw her in," he smiled, pulling off her shoes and throwing them into the corner.

James and Sirius laughed as Lily struggled in their grips again, completely surprised by Remus.

"On the count of three," Sirius smirked.

James smiled. Together, the four boys chorused, "One..." they swung Lily, "two…" she was gaining momentum, "three…" they let her go. She flew through the air in a magnificent arc and then, with a loud splash, fell completely submerged in the water.

She came up coughing and sputtering in a sea of forget me not flowers, with soap suds all over her robes and hair. She scowled at the three of them laughing, all leaning on each other, and under the water pulled her wand out from her robes and flicked it. The three laughing boys fell into the water as if they were pushed in by an invisible hand.

They came up choking and sputtering, but still laughing. After he regained himself, James swam over to Lily and said "See, this is nice, isn't it?" He turned on his back and began floating to where she stood in the middle of the pool, his stomach exposed. Lily slapped it down under the water and he choked as bubbles and soapy water filled his mouth.

Lily laughed, "Now it's fun," and she swam over to the edge of the tub. With a great effort she heaved herself out of the tub. Her robes were so sodden and weighed down with water that she made an odd squelching noise as she walked over to the other side of the room to pick up her shoes. With every step she took the boys laughed harder.

* * *

tee hee, i loved the idea of James throwing Lily into the pool and her thinking Remus would help. As if! he's not a marauder for nothing you know! lol

i'll try and post more tomarrow, but after that it might be a little slower, i have school starting up again really soon and there won't be a lot of time to write. ... but i should at least be able to post a chapter a day... so keep looking. and keep reviewing. good or bad! i want to hear it all!


	12. Fed Up

Chapter 12 Fed Up 

"Lily!" Catherine exclaimed, when she walked through the door dripping water, "What happened?"

"The Marauders happened!" she yelled, pulling out some clothes from her trunk. "I'm going to wash all of this soap off me, and when I return, we're going to get Frank and seriously put all of them in their places," she snarled as she slammed the door behind her.

An hour later, Lily finally met up with Frank and Catherine who were sitting in an inconspicuous corner laughing and doing their work. Lily pulled up a chair and sat by them, very disgruntled.

"So, do you want to fill us in on anything Lils?" Catherine asked, placing her quill down and looking at her.

Lily bit her tongue and then flew into speech. "Those—_maggots!_—threw me into tub in the Heads bathroom, completely against my will!" she hissed, trying not to draw attention to their corner. "I wasn't even doing anything!"

She crossed her arms; Frank raised his eyes brows and asked, "Nothing?"

"Well…" Lily said slowly, "I may have insinuated that they were all gay, but honestly, four boys in one bathtub! Come on!" she looked to them for support.

Catherine chuckled; Frank hung his head in shame. He drew a deep breath, and then said "Lily, you can't just call four straight blokes gay and then think they're not going to do something about it. Especially the Marauders."

"I don't care if I started it or not!" she told him defiantly, "I am sick and tired of being the butt of his jokes. It's time for some action!" she fumed.

"Lily, you're Head girl. You can't 'take action'," Frank told her nicely.

Lily glared at him, "He's pulling at my last nerve. He's seventeen for crying out loud! And he refuses to grow up!"

"He hasn't picked on Snape since the train ride here," Catherine said calmly.

"You're defending him!" she yelled.

"No, Lily, I'm not," she shook her head, "I'm just saying that for the Marauders, leaving Snape be in peace is a giant leap for them. I mean, does it really matter if they like to do childish things like steal bras or throw people into tubs without their consent?"

"Yes! Yes it does!" she said, her voice rising, "Rini, they're not children anymore. They are adults, we all are! We all can be held accountable for our actions, and their still running around acting like children. And with Potter being Head boy, is it really a good idea for him to be acting this way?"

Frank looked at her, "Is it really a good idea for you to be acting this way?" Lily glared at him. "Look, you're both Heads this year, and you're going to have to get along. When he upsets you like he's doing now, you're just going to have to deal with it in other ways than stooping to his level."

Frank had always been the voice of reason. "Look Lily, its only October. There are still eight more months left of the school year, and if you want any peace at all, you'll try and find some way to at least deal with James when he gets immature."

Lily's jaw dropped, she made to retort, but Frank cut her off, "Lily, if you do not learn to get along with James, then Rini and I will personally lock you in a cupboard with him for the whole weekend until you do."

"Oh, really?" she raised her eyebrows.

Frank met her gaze with the same ferocity, "Yes, really."

She was defeated, so rather than admit it she glared at Frank her limbs tightly crossed and her leg kicking. She sat like that for a few minutes, before sighing and retreating to the girl's dormitory for some solitude.

* * *

i love frank. He's awesome. 


	13. PotatoPotato

Chapter 13 "Potato—Potato." 

Lily was sitting on the couch in the Heads common room with her legs up where her head should have been and her head inches above the floor. She was reading a book by the light of the fire, as Catherine was scratching out some lines on her essay and correcting them. Frank was in the bathroom taking a bath, enjoying the full comfort of not having to use the public baths which were often times slightly repulsive.

"Rini?" Lily sighed, still staring at her book. Rini grunted not looking up from her paper. "Do you think love is real?"

Catherine looked up, "What?" she asked staring at her. Lily turned herself so that she was sitting on the couch the proper way before she asked again, "Do you think love it real? Or is it just something that people just made up to make stories sound more interesting?"

Catherine didn't know how to answer this. "Um… I like to think it's real." She said this as more of a question than a statement.

Lily sighed, and then turned herself back to the same way that she was laying on the couch before. Frank started singing in the bathroom.

"Why? What's up?" Catherine asked, putting her work aside for the moment.

"Nothing," Lily replied, "It's just that sometimes I don't know whether or not to believe in it or not. You know? There are so many stories out there about love and its power and I can't help but feel like I'm missing something."

Catherine nodded, "I know what you mean. But it'll happen. It always does, at some point."

Lily shrugged, looking at the flames dancing upside down. "I know, but I still can't help but wonder if love really does cause people to do extraordinary things."

Catherine sighed, "I don't think we'll ever actually believe it until it does happen."

"Yeah, you're probably right…" she sighed. The door to the common room opened and James Potter walked in.

He saw Lily laying upside-down on the couch and sat down next to her.

"Where are the rest of your friends?" Lily asked stonily, even though a few weeks had passed since the bathroom incident.

"They're all off to the kitchens trying to knick some food. They said they'd meet me back here when they got it," he told them.

"And why aren't you down there with them too?" Lily asked him, turning herself back upright.

James shrugged, "I thought I might like to take a bath."

Catherine said, "Sorry, but Franks in there," she giggled, as Frank's voice issued out from the cracks in the door.

"No matter, I'll just go check up on Sirius," James pulled out a mirror from his robes, and said into it, "Sirius Black." Lily was staring at the mirror again as James spoke into it.

"Hey Prongs!" Sirius's face in the mirror smiled up.

"Hi Padfoot. How are you, Mooney, and Wormtail doing down there?" he spoke into the mirror. Sirius turned his mirror to face the kitchens to show James the working house elves and the large stack of food they had laying in the sack. "We're having a regular feast tonight!" he announced happily.

"So you'll be leaving soon?" James asked.

"Yeah. Just another minute, we're waiting for the custards, and then we're going to head up."

"Great! See you in a few!" James waved then pocketed the mirror. Lily's eyes only left the mirror once James had stowed it completely out of sight.

Frank opened the door to the bathroom and steam diffused into the air. He let out a sigh of delight and fatigue as he walked out of the bathroom wearing his pajamas with Quaffles, Bludgers and Snitches on it.

Catherine sighed, "Oh, honestly Frank! Take a hotter bath next time, will you?"

Frank chuckled and sat down on the chair closet to the fire.

James got up, and said "Well now that those quarters are free I think I will go and use them. Lily dear, care to join me?" he offered his hand.

Lily looked up, "I'm sorry, but I've just go so much work to do. It's such a shame really; I was sorely looking forward to it."

James smiled at her sarcasm, "Ah, maybe next time!" and he walked into the steaming bathroom.

Fifteen minutes passed by before the rest of the Marauders arrived and James had come out of the bath. They laid all the food in the empty space behind the couches and sat down as if they were having a picnic. There was enough food there to satisfy a giant, at least.

"What do you need all this food for?" Lily asked them, looking over the back of the couch at the boys who were devouring their food.

"We're going to pull and all nighter. We've got three tests tomorrow and a few essays that we forgot to do." Sirius told her.

Frank who was eating with the boys asked, "Forgot, or simply left for last minute?"

James replied, "Potato—Potato."

* * *

Yes... i know... short chapter again... nothing much is happening now, but in the next chapter everything starts picking up. 


	14. Thievery

Chapter 14 Thievery 

Lily and James were both in the Head common room again, studying at their desks. It was quiet and the rain was pounding on the windows so thickly that nothing could be seen outside.

James wheeled around to face Lily's back and whined, "Lily, I'm bored."

Lily rolled her eyes and turned around, "Well, what do you want to do then, play a game?"

James smiled and jumped up from his chair, "What shall we play?"

Lily turned around in an exasperated sort of fashion, "I was being sarcastic."

James slumped back onto the chair, put out. Lily could tell without need to look that he was pouting.

All of a sudden, with a burst of energy, James jumped up from his chair and lifted his desk, with his wand, into the middle of the room.

"James, what are you doing?" Lily was annoyed by now.

"Redecorating," he said without shame.

"But why?" she asked him.

"The wall is so … ominous…. There's nothing too look at except for the wall. I don't like it. It makes me feel claustrophobic." He was sitting now, at his desk, newly positioned in the middle of the room, with Lily's back facing to his front. "I like this view much better."

"Well I don't," she asserted, "This is uncomfortable. I don't like you staring at my back."

"So, why don't you flip your desk around to face mine? It's got to be better than just the wall, staring at you all the time," James pointed out hoping that she would move her desk to face his, "looming over you all the time….". He had a hopeful smile on his face. "Plus, the lighting is so much better over here."

Lily knew what he was doing, so she weighed her choices. Sit and face James and pacify him (she knew he wouldn't stop until she did move her desk around) or sit facing the bleak and lifeless wall with only her dancing shadow for company.

She pulled out her wand, flicked it, and the desks sat face to face with each other. Lily turned her chair around to see an extremely happy James sitting right in front of her, his hands clasped together, and an insanely wide grin on his face.

"You know, if you don't stop smiling like that, I'm going to put this desk back in the corner," she told him. The smile grew bigger. Lily looked away and began her work, trying to ignore James's watching gaze as he leaned back on the two hind legs of his chair.

"Prongs!" someone was hissing. Lily looked up, and James reached into his robes.

"What's up Padfoot?" James asked Sirius's image through the mirror.

"Nothing. Are you alone?" he asked.

"Nah, Lily is here," he shook his head.

"Where are you? You're late!" he told him, and disappeared. Lily didn't understand the significance of this question, but from what it looked like James had, because he scoffed, "No I'm not," and looked down at watch on his wrist and let out a yelp as if someone had stung him. He jumped up and, in his hurry, threw the mirror down on top of some spare parchment in the middle of his desk as he raced to the door.

Lily shook her head, wondering what that could have been about when something glinted out of the corner of her eye. It was coming from James's desk. She tried to ignore it, but her curiosity overpowered her in the end and she got up to investigate the source.

She took the seat over to where James's desk was facing hers and sat down gingerly in his chair. She looked around. There were so many pictures on his desk. There were mostly pictures of the Marauders laughing about some long forgotten joke. There was a souvenir ticket from when he went to the Quidditch world cup standing next to a picture of some man with a broomstick smiling happily up at her, he looked exactly like James except his eyes were bright blue. She thought it might have been some close relative of his. There was the snitch that Lily had seen him playing with two years ago by the lake. But there, in the middle of the desk, was the mirror. The firelight was dancing on it, causing it to sparkle and shimmer.

She picked it up and looked at it. Her dark red hair and bright green eyes stared back at her.

'James could talk to people through this. He could talk to Sirius,' she thought.

'Maybe…?' a voice inside her head began, Lily shook her head, but the thought still kept resurfacing.

'James would be furious,' she reasoned, 'Sirius too.'

'So, they don't have to know,' it said back.

'That's stupid, Lily, of course they'll find out. If I want to talk to Sirius they'd know.'

'So then don't talk to Sirius.'

'It's stealing!' she screamed in her head.

'You're going to give it back, you just want to see how it works,' the voice reasoned.

Lily placed the mirror down, but then almost in the same movement, picked it back up. She couldn't explain why the mirror intrigued her so much. It just did.

The whole time her mind was stuck on how James would react when he realized the mirror was missing. Then she even had a mental image of what Sirius's reaction would be like in comparison to James's. They would both know she was in the room when it was taken. They might ask her about it.

She would lie and say she didn't touch it and it was sitting on the desk when she left the room that evening.

She spoke out loud this time, "Maybe… I mean… he won't have to know I took it…. I'll give it back after a little bit."

Her whole mind was screaming in protest as she pocketed the mirror, but there was something odd about how comfortable she felt with taking the mirror. It was almost as if she was supposed to. She packed her bag up and walked out of the Heads common room and back to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

so yeah! happy time! it's short, but important. the next chapter is longer... i think... actually it might not be. but this is pretty much the climaz of Part Uno:D


	15. Regulus Black

Chapter 15 Regulus Black 

"What do you mean, you lost it?" Sirius yelled at James over breakfast the next morning. There were bags under his eyes, and his hair was tousled. Three of the four marauders were sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Remus was in the infirmary resting after his long night.

"I mean, I put it down on my desk and then when I went back for it this morning before coming here, it was gone," James told him.

"Well find it!" Sirius shot at him.

"I will, as soon as I get a lead," James shot back callously at them.

"Did you ask anyone if they'd seen your mirror Prongs?" Peter tenderly inserted himself into the conversation.

"Not yet," James shook his head. "I haven't seen Frank or Rini or Lily anywhere today."

"Well why don't you pull out the map and find them?" Sirius said shortly.

"Calm down Padfoot, I'll find it, okay!" James hissed at him. "In the meantime, just keep a watch if someone tries to contact you. Then we can see who took it. Okay?"

Sirius huffed and continued eating. After a pause, he murmured, "If Snape has it…" and then left his thoughts trailing there.

James looked down in shame. How could he have lost the mirror? There was no one else in the room that night except for Lily, and she would never steal anything. She was too good.

But as the day continued on, James had found no new leads as to where his mirror had gone off to. He asked Catherine and Frank at Quidditch practice that night, and they had both said they had not been to the Head common room that night. When he found Lily she told him that the mirror didn't even see a mirror sitting on his desk.

James was at a loss. Sirius was so upset. All day long he kept pulling out his mirror to try and see if he could see any hint of where the twin to his mirror had gone, but he had no luck. The person who had picked up the mirror probably had no idea what the mirror really was, nor did they know how to use it. Sirius, nevertheless, did not give up hope that it would be returned; he kept the twin mirror in his pockets at all times.

A week passed and there was still no sign of where the mirror could have gone. Sirius was walking down to potions with James, looking glum. Potions class was unanimously their least favorite subject, but they had still managed to scrape by good enough grades to stay in it; all except for Peter and Remus.

A door to their right slammed open and there stood a boy in Slytherin robes who looked nearly exactly like Sirius, but with a longer nose and sharper features. He was also slightly smaller and skinner than Sirius had been.

"Hey, little bro," Sirius stopped, smiling maliciously.

"Bugger off," Regulus told his older brother.

"What are you off to do? Darken the family name some more?" Sirius taunted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Regulus shot back. James was standing behind Sirius, ready to intervene when the moment came.

"I've heard everyone's favorite little boy has been inducted into the Death Eater's cult," Sirius's tone mocked approval. "That's an accomplishment to be recognized."

Regulus smiled haughtily, "Where in the world would you hear a mental rumor like that?"

Sirius's face changed from defiance to concern. "Regulus, don't do this. You're too young."

"Like you care what I do, or don't do," he spat back.

"I do!" Sirius grabbed his arm as Regulus began his decent up the stairs. "You're my brother! Whether I like it or not!" he told him, "I don't want to see you dead."

James wasn't sure weather to say something or not. Sirius hardly ever was this serious about anything.

"Well, I'm not going to die. Now let me go, you blood traitor!" he yanked his arm, Sirius's grip was firm. Regulus turned his wand on him.

"I am not a blood traitor!" he yelled heatedly, "Will you just listen to me?"

"No!" Regulus burned his hand, and Sirius let go immediately. His wand was still drawn, and Sirius had not pulled his out yet.

Sirius looked angrier than James had ever seen him look before.

"It's my life Sirius!" Regulus yelled at him. "It's my life and I will not disgrace the family name like you have! Mother and father are more proud of me than they ever will be of you!"

"I don't care about them, you stupid prat!" Sirius yelled.

"Yes you do! Don't lie! You just want me to pull down from this great honor and break mother's heart all over again. You think you'll look better if I back down. Well I won't!" he yelled.

"That's way out of line!" James intervened, his wand at the ready, Regulus continued on.

"I will soon be more powerful than you or your little marauding friends. You'll see. With the Dark Lord as my guide, I will make mother proud. You just go on living your shameful existence. Mother doesn't need you anymore, she's got me—" Regulus was cut off from finishing his monologue; Sirius had just pinned him by the throat, against the wall, his wand pointing directly at his heart.

"It's not about mother! It's not about pride! Regulus, I do not want you destroying your life!" Sirius hissed into his face, deathly serious.

Lily rounded the corner, just as James ran to calm Sirius down.

"Sirius, let him go," James told his friend softly.

Sirius was glaring into his brother's face with hate and malice. His wand was burning a hole straight through his robes. Regulus's eyes were sparkling with mad laughter and loathing as he met Sirius's gaze.

"Sirius," James tried again, more gently. Sirius thrust Regulus from his grip onto the floor as if he were something disgusting and vile. The two brother's chests were heaving, Sirius's with anger; Regulus's with laughter.

"Crucio!" Regulus screamed mirthfully at Sirius who collapsed on the floor screaming in pain, twisting for some way to escape the torture.

"No!" James yelled, "Stupefy!" and Regulus collapsed on the floor, unconscious. James kneeled down to where Sirius lay trembling in the aftershock of the pain.

"Padfoot? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" James was looking into his friends eyes. He could see his own face reflected back from his black orbs. There were tears in Lily's eyes as she walked to make sure Regulus was still unconscious.

Sirius nodded weakly. "Do you think the giant squid will eat vermin like him?" he asked the others.

James smiled, "Nah, let's give him to Moaning Myrtle." Sirius got up with a little help from him.

"Someone should take him up to the infirmary," Lily said looking a Sirius. The three boys looked up, surprised. They did not know that Lily had been there with them this whole time.

"When did you…?" Sirius asked, but quieted when she shook her head.

"It's not important. I think Sirius should go to the infirmary," she suggested again.

"And tell them what?" James asked looking at her, "That his brother used an unforgivable on him?"

"Lily, I'm fine, see," he removed his arm from around James shoulders and stood up, though slightly weak kneed.

"I don't care!" she said heatedly. "He just used an unforgivable! He's not even seventeen! We have to tell someone!"

"Telling someone isn't going to stop him from doing it again Lily. He's chosen what he wants to do with his life," James told her reasonably.

Lily was stunned, "So you're not even going to try to help him? How do you sleep at night?" he blushed.

"Look, he's obviously made his decision, and it doesn't seem that there's anything we can do about it," James defended his argument. Lily looked at him full on.

"Fine! You all can give up on him, but I won't. Right Sirius?" Her gaze turned to Sirius whose eyes met hers. In the instant an understanding was reached.

"I'm going to report this to Dumbledore, first chance I get. And I'm going to take away a hundred points from Slytherin for this," she told them defiantly. "That behavior is unacceptable!"

She knelt down and picked up Regulus's wand, flicked hers and his body levitated above the floor, she turned on her heel and marched the unconscious form away from the boys.

"Where are you taking him?" Sirius shouted after her retreating figure.

"Moaning Myrtle," she shouted back, and then turned the corner. "He's going to keep her company there until I tell Dumbledore about this incident."

The two boys frowned as Sirius sighed, "Dumbledore isn't going to be happy about this."

* * *

tee hee regulus is a real meanie! i'm sure he never actually used the Cruciatus curse on Sirius, but i kind of wanted to make it like Darth Vader-ish... where he just completely looses control and goes all Sith on Sirius's ass...

anywho... thanks tin-tin 456 for all the wonderful reviews. I didn't think it was that great of a story, but it's nice to know how much you like it. and everyone else who reviewed, really, you're all wonderful. Even the ones that criticized it.

LL


	16. Punishment

Chapter 16 Punishment 

James and Sirius skipped Potions that afternoon and went back to Gryffindor tower after deciding that Sirius wasn't fit to continue with classes. James had decided to stay with him to keep him company. The two of them sat up in the dormitory rooms trying to cheer Sirius up, but his mood did not change much. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, hardly talking at all.

They all met Peter up at dinner, and filled him in on the incident that had happened not to long ago. Peter acted thoroughly shocked and appalled that it was almost sickening. Lily and her friends had come into the Great Hall about half way through dinner, and surprising everyone, sat down next to James.

"Dumbledore wants to see us tonight in his office," she told him, "after dinner. You too Sirius," she nodded to him. He simply played with his peas and mashed potatoes and grunted to show he had heard her.

None of the marauders were really too thrilled that Lily had told Dumbledore about Regulus and Sirius's fight, but they were not about to completely sever communications with her either, so James merely nodded to show that he had heard what she said.

"You're not still angry that I told him, are you?" she looked at them all. None of them met her gaze fully.

"Lily," James told her, "we just don't want him to get expelled, and we don't want to draw attention to Regulus's actions. Soon the Slytherins will know what he did, and they will be congratulating him." Sirius was staying unusually quiet. Catherine's eyes, Lily noticed, could not move away from his face. They were all so used to Sirius's loud and social nature, that this sudden change was a little unsettling.

"And so will we, if we don't do something about it," she told him.

Catherine was trying to talk to Sirius, but no matter how many attempts she made, he simply refused to talk and continued on playing with his food.

Dinner continued on very uncomfortably, and when it finished, Sirius, James and Lily set off for Dumbledore's office.

"Come in," said the calm voice that belonged to Albus Dumbledore after they had knocked. They opened the door, and he gestured for them to sit down.

"I just wanted to hear Mr. Black's account of the story before we find a suitable punishment for his brother," he nodded toward Sirius who took a deep breath, as if he were about to jump into an ice cold lake, and began. He told him everything about what had happened, how he had tried to talk to Regulus, and Regulus had tried to walk away. How he had taken great pleasure in causing him pain through the Cruicatius Curse.

Dumbledore nodded, and said, "I see," he paused for a moment, "Well, an unforgivable… that could mean a lifetime in Azkaban," here Lily let out a little gasp and covered her mouth with her hands, "but that course of action will not be taken," she breathed freely. Snape had told her about how Dementors had guarded the wizard prison Azkaban long ago, before their friendship had fallen apart, and ever since then, she never liked the idea of soulless creatures who fed on despair.

"No, no…" Dumbledore gave a disappointed sigh, "I am afraid we will have to suspend him for a short time. Of course, I will be writing to his parents. Do you agree?"

James and Lily looked at each other, completely taken aback by his considering their opinions. They slowly turned their heads back to him and nodded their consent to his suggestion. Sirius, however, once he had finished his recount of the events, had bowed his head and not said anything else and made no motion.

"Very well then," he said. "Now, all that is left is the matter of the eldest Mr. Black. I think it would be best if you spent the night in the infirmary," Sirius looked up into Dumbledore's blue eyes with defiance. The infirmary was the last place that he wanted to go.

Dumbledore had seemed to read his thoughts because he patiently added, "I just want you to drink a potion that will give you a dreamless sleep."

"I'm fine," Sirius told him, his eyes were glaring.

Dumbledore met his gaze steadily and firm, "All the same Mr. Black. I would like you spend the night in the infirmary."

Sirius realized the fight was lost, and got up, "May I leave, sir?" his voice was so stony and harsh that Lily was afraid Dumbledore might have to reprimand him.

"You may, Mr. Black," the door closed behind him before he could finish the sentence.

"You two are excused as well," they both stood up, "I am very sorry for this, indeed. But let us hope that these actions will set a course of events that will bring about change for the better."

James and Lily nodded; they did not know what to say, so they politely said their good nights and closed the door quietly behind them. In silence, James and Lily walked down to the infirmary to find Sirius.

* * *

"let us hope that these actions will set a course of events that will bring about a change for the better."

just wait for it. ;)


	17. Connections

Chapter 17 Connections 

They met up Sirius in the infirmary, shortly after he'd got there himself. Sirius was pacing around fuming; his wand in his hand was smoking much like a cigarette.

"Hey Padfoot," Sirius spun around to see James trying to smile consolingly, Lily standing at his side. He looked away. "Look, I know you don't want to be here right now, but it's not that bad. It could be worse," he tried to offer up some positive thoughts. Sirius was not taking too kindly to them.

"I don't care about being here," he said coldly, his voice was unnatural, slightly higher and colder.

James gave him that look that said, 'oh really?'

"That stupid little mundane prat!" Sirius muttered as he paced again. "Stupid, mental--! Who the hell does he think he is?"

"He thinks he's a Death Eater," James answered smartly. Sirius roared aggressively and knocked down the nearest table which sent creams and potions flying through the air and crashing down to the floor, Lily backed away half of a step.

"Is he really James? I had no idea." There was something about the look in his eye that was not human.

"Don't yell at me like that! I'm only trying to help!" James shouted at his best friend, his temper was really being tested right now with Sirius's behavior.

"Then don't point out the obvious!" Sirius yelled back.

"Fine! But why don't you try to control your temper!" James shot back at him.

Sirius drew his wand, and James pulled out his. Lily ran between the two boys and yelled, "No! We've already been through enough today!" They glared daggers at each other, but neither boy attacked. "Sirius-James, put away your wands now," she commanded them. Sirius spun on his heel to show them both his back while James pocketed his before storming out of the hospital wing.

"Sirius," Lily tried. He kept his back turned to her. "Sirius, don't shut us out. We're only trying to help." She took a step toward him. "Please, just talk to us," she gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

He shook it off. "You've done enough," his voice was stony and rough, "Just leave."

Lily backed away slowly, then turned and walked straight for the door. She paused as her hand rested on the door knob, and then said quietly, "You know Sirius, you're not the only one who's lost someone to You-Know-Who. Just remember that."

She softly shut the door behind her as she left.

* * *

do you want to know who she lost to U-No-Poo? 


	18. Two Different Faces

Chapter 18 Two Different Faces 

Lily turned over in her bed. It was close to one in the morning, and she couldn't sleep. She thought about Regulus and Sirius and their broken bond. It made her think of her and Snape. How close they had been at one point. She wanted nothing more than to talk to Sirius, to make sure he was okay.

She rolled over onto her stomach and thrust her hands under her pillow to give it some extra height when she felt it; the twin mirror that she had taken from James. She sat up in her bed and pulled the curtains closed tighter, then reached into her pillowcase and slid the mirror out. She _could_ talk to Sirius.

She lit her wand and looked into the mirror. Her dark red hair was falling all around her wildly, and her bright green eyes looked full of caution. She was biting her lower lip as she contemplated Sirius's reaction to seeing her face appear in the mirror.

Deciding it best not to talk so as to wake the other girls in her dormitory room, she crept down to the Gryffindor common room below. She sat down on the couch cross legged, and tucked her hair behind her ears, took a deep breath, then said, very softly, "Sirius Black." The embers in the fireplace were glowing very faintly.

Even though she knew what was about to happen, she was still surprised to see Sirius's face appear in the smooth glass of the mirror.

"Lily Evans…" Sirius's image quietly mused. "This is a surprise…" he smiled, "but I must admit, an impressive one."

Lily blushed, "Don't tell James," she pleaded. "I don't know why I did it; the mirror was just so entrancing."

Sirius chuckled, "He would be so proud that it was you who took it though!"

"All the same… please don't tell. I'll give it back, I promise," she told him.

"Alright, alright. I won't tell him," Sirius shook his head in disbelief, "Lily Evans Marauder extraordinaire…" he whistled. "So, why are you contacting me at such odd an hour?" he asked her.

"I couldn't sleep," she shrugged, "and I wanted to see if you were okay."

"Oh, I'm fine," his eyes darkened a little. "Just … disappointed."

Lily looked at him quizzically, "How so?"

"Well, it's just. I thought he might have been a little better than that. You know?" Lily nodded for him to elaborate. Sirius launched into a story, his eyes misting over as he relived the memory in his head.

"When we were little, Regulus and me… well, we always used to fight. And one time Reg was coming off worse in the fight, I had given him a bruised eye and a swollen lip and he had only bitten me once, and I wasn't even bleeding. (I was ten and he was nine, mind you). So, Kreacher, our family house elf, stumbled in on us, and began yelling for help.

"My father ran in and pulled us apart. He told me off mostly for giving Reg such bad injuries. Then my father turned to the house elf and began yelling at him, in a drunken voice, 'You stupid creature! Next time you stop that fight! Don't you ever let me catch you cheering it on again' and he began kicking him." Lily gasped. Sirius smiled, "That's good ol' pops for you!"

He continued on, "So Reg comes in and is yelling for him to stop beating up Kreacher. He defended the little rodent, telling dad how he was only yelling for help, not cheering us on. In the end, dad wound up beating on Reg for defending a stupid little house elf. But Reg didn't care. He just let dad pound him until mum walked in and stopped it."

"Poor Regulus!" Lily sighed.

Sirius gave her a small smile as if to say, 'Sucks, doesn't it?' and then said, "Anyway, I like to think that Reg really isn't so bad because of that. I've always said, you can really tell the depth of a man by looking at how he treats his inferiors instead of his equals."

Lily nodded in agreement. "So, you and Kreacher don't get along then? You called him 'little rodent' before so I just thought maybe…."

"No." Sirius scowled, remembering the decrepit house elf. "Not at all. Kreacher has always liked Regulus more than me. Not that I'm complaining. That stupid house elf's life's ambition is to have his head chopped off and placed up on the wall."

Lily didn't know how to reply to this statement.

"So Lily, who did you loose to Voldemort?" Sirius's statement was so bold that Lily was a little taken aback.

She bit her lip, she really didn't want to talk about it, but she figured if Sirius could tell her about Regulus, maybe she'd be able to tell him about Snape.

"Well… you know Severus," she started.

"Who?"

"Severus Snape? The boy you and James have picked on consistently for the past six years in a row," Lily told him a little exasperated.

"Sorry, name doesn't ring a bell," he smiled.

"I can't believe I'm saying this… you know, Snevillus…"

"Oh him! Why didn't you say so?" he asked, snickering. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, we both just went our own ways, and I tried to help him. I really did, but he went down a path that I couldn't follow. It's like if you lost James, or if James lost you. He was my best friend. And now, I can't help him," Sirius could see she was very sad, her eyes filled with tears as she pushed them back.

"Lily, it's just Snape, don't cry," Sirius tried to comfort her through the glass window.

"I know… I just… sometimes it's hard… I miss him... He was my best friend for so long you know," she confided. "He's good, somewhere, deep down. I know… he has to be…."

On the other side of the mirror Sirius felt a little guilty for all the times he picked on Snape, but not enough to fully repent it. For Lily to cry like this over Snape, he couldn't understand, but he hated the sight of her weeping face in his mirror.

Sirius saw Lily wipe back the tears from her face and smile up at him. He smiled back at her. He couldn't stop himself from saying, "You know you and James are so similar it's really kind of scary."

Lily blinked at him, "How?"

"Well, James would never give up hope on me either, even if I became a Death Eater. He would never loose faith in any of his friends, not even if they were to betray him."

"I didn't know James was that loyal and trusting," Lily said pleasantly surprised.

"There's a lot you don't know about Prongs," Sirius said into the mirror, "He's actually not as arrogant as you think he is. He just likes to pretend he is, you know, for laughs. I think he sometimes needs to be over confident in order to work up the nerve to do what he needs to do. James is the one who kept us together for so long in the first place, you know. And last year, he saved my ass from almost certain expulsion, not to mention Snape's life, and he kept us together when it looked like it would be the end of the Marauders." Sirius paused to let Lily's image in the mirror yawn. "You'd be surprised Lily, if you just got to know him. He's not at all like he likes to seem."

"He seems conceited and disrespectful," she muttered.

"Yeah, well, things aren't always the way they seem," he told her back. "He's really a good guy. He's always there when you need him."

Sleep was coming over her fast now that she had opened up to Sirius, and he to her.

"I'm glad we had this talk, Sirius," she breathed as her eyes fluttered; she was falling asleep. Sirius saw this as a signal of the end of their conversation.

"Yeah, me too," he said into the mirror softly. "G'night Lily!"

Lily yawned a good night back to Sirius, and his face vanished from the glass, leaving Lily staring sleepily at her own image which was reflected back at her.

Slowly she climbed the stairs to her dormitory and crawled into bed. She tucked the mirror back into her pillowcase and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

yay! it was Snape. because they're are all different kinds of love and Snape was like Lily's brother. or at least in this story he is lol

(FYI i love Snape. he's my favorite character...)

there's quidditch in the next chapter!!!


	19. Gryffindor Versus Slytherin

Chapter 19 Gryffindor Versus Slytherin 

Lily woke up with Catherine the next morning and dressed entirely in red and gold to show support for her house's quidditch team while Catherine threw on her uniform. Today was the first Quidditch match of the year, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. It was the perfect November day out too, the sun was bright, the air was cool, and the trees were dancing outside in the chilly autumn breeze, the yellow and red leaves flying across the sky.

Catherine and Lily met Frank (dressed in his Quidditch robes too) down in the Great Hall for breakfast. They had only managed to sit down and pull towards them a plate of bacon and eggs when zealous cheering erupted from the whole hall. All three of them looked up startled by the sudden burst of applause, and saw as James, the Gryffindor's Quidditch team captain, entered the Great Hall.

He stopped in the doorway and raised both his hands so as to say, 'please, stop it, no really' but the cheering merely grew louder and more thunderous as he walked over and sat down next to Lily, with Sirius, Remus and Peter right there with him.

James pulled a bowl of cereal toward him and then asked, "Hey, Frank, could you pass me the milk?"

Frank picked up the jug by the handle and promptly said, "Aye, aye, mo' cappy-tan!"

James smiled happily as he poured out his cereal.

Lily couldn't help it, she turned to him and said, "You know, you better be careful, we don't want our team captain unable to lift off due to an overlarge ego."

James said, "Overlarge ego? Surely you jest!"

"Nay, jest is something I know not how to do," she told him, tipping her head.

Everyone laughed. The whole hall's spirits were elated. Quidditch seemed to have that odd effect on everyone, either that, or it was because of such a beautiful autumn day.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team met down in the locker rooms right after breakfast. James was pacing around the tent, slightly nervous but thrilled at the prospect of a game.

"Okay team! Gather 'round!" he yelled standing in the middle of the tent. Everyone came out from behind the lockers or away from the door of the tent (from which they had been peeking through checking out the crowd). "This is it! The first Quidditch match of the season!" Everyone cheered.

"As you know, we're playing against the Slytherins—"

"—the fattest lot of cheaters we've ever seen!" Frank yelled, his face was painted in red and gold stripes. Again everyone cheered.

"And we're going to show them that we can win a game based on pure talent and skill, right?" James roared.

They all stamped their feet and yelled incoherent words. Catherine was shrieking the loudest, her face covered in red and gold hearts.

"Now let's get out there and show them what we're made of!" He yelled, lifting his broomstick into the air.

"GRYFFINDORS!" they yelled running out of the tent and onto the field to take their starting positions on the grounds. The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs screamed in the stands, while the Slytherin's booed, as they ran onto the field. James heard Sirius in the stands whopping the loudest. James and the Slytherin Captain, Blaine Orion, shook hands aggressively. Madam Finster blew the whistle to signal the beginning of the game.

"And… they're off!" came Christopher Villefort's voice. He was a third year Gryffindor.

"Quaffel immediately to Winters, but stolen by the ever so lovely Philomina Peterson, who tosses to Potter. Potter shoots—SCORE!" The Gryffindor's cheered in the stands.

"Balls are back in play," Villefort announced. "Chaser Quincy Jones takes the Quaffle and passes to Winters again, who flys for Gryffindor's goal posts—Winter's shoots, and he—SAVED! by Frank Longbottom. That boy does have skill.

"Quaffel to Catherine, or Rini (as she more commonly likes), who flys back in the other direction! Watch out there's a Quaffle heading your way, Rini! Woah, check out that dive and twirl—where she learned that, we may never know! She drops the Quaffle down to Potter, who is, am I correct, flying in the wrong direction?" James was indeed flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts rather than the Slytherin.

"Oh wait! What's this? He throws the ball down to Philomina who looks like she's hurling it toward Rini—catch it Rini! YES! NO! Bludgers, five o'clock! Whew! Lucky save there for Rini, thanks to Beaters Martinez and Toft of Gryffindor!

"Rini throws the Quaffle up to Potter, who is flying in the right direction again. He throws it—SAVED! by Keeper and Captain, Orion. Orion throws the ball to Chaser Pericles Price—OH! intercepted by Potter! Potter throws to Rini, but the ball is taken again by Slytherin's Jones, who races toward the other end. Gryffindor Beater Sandy Toft just aimed a bludger at Jones, who attempts to dodge it and drops the Quaffel. Peterson scoops up the Quaffle and scores again! 20-nil! Gryffindor!"

The game continued on for another hour. Slytherin only scored twice in the time and Gryffindor was up to 190. Neither the Slytherin seeker, Regulus Black, nor Gryffindor's seeker, Philip Sanders, were given a chance to catch the snitch. Every time either of them saw it, the other teams Beaters were right there waiting to hit a well aimed Bludger at them.

James wasn't all together too sad about how the Slytherin team was playing because it kept buying them time. Every time when Sanders raced off in pursuit of the Snitch, the Gryffindor team would take advantage of Slytherin's open goal posts and score. They scored three more times during the game, bringing the total up to 220 to 20, Gryffindor.

"Wait! Sanders is going after the Snitch! Yes! Yes! Look at him fly! Watch out! Alecto Carrow, Slytherin fifth year, has just hit a bludger at Sanders, who dives, and … looses sight of the snitch," the whole stadium groaned, except for the Slytherins who cheered. That was the third attempt of Gryffindor's to get the Snitch, but Slytherin always seemed to stop him just in time.

"Black's seen the Snitch!" Villfort screamed, perhaps a little more enthaustically than he should have, into the purple microphone. Sander's raced after him, but it was no use, he had barely taken off before Regulus had caught the Snitch. The game was over. Villefort yelled, "Never thought we'd see the end of that! But what a _rush_! Slytherin catches the Snitch, but _Gryffindor wins_! SCORE: 220 to 170!"

* * *

So... i never would have guessed that Harry's being a seeker had ... like ... everything to do with the series lol


	20. The After Party

Chapter 20 The After Party 

The Gryffindor common room celebrated their victory that night. Sirius, Remus, and Peter had run down to the kitchens and loaded all of the tables up with sweets and custards and every other type of dessert imaginable so that by the time the Gryffindors all came back to the tower the party was in full swing.

"But why would Slytherin catch the Snitch in the first place?" people were asking, "They were 200 down!"

"Who cares!" others roared, dancing with joy.

Lily was sitting down on the couch congratulating Frank and Catherine on their exceptional playing. Everyone else in Gryffindor tower was thumping James on the back proudly, singing songs of victory as he passed and raising his butterbeers to him.

He walked over to Lily and raised his arms out, waiting for her to compliment him, like everyone else was. Frank and Catherine bowed down and chanted, "All hail Captain Potter!" while they laughed at their ridiculousness. Lily simply shook her head, smirking at the scene before her.

James sat down next to Lily and put his arm around her casually, "So, did you catch the game?"

She shook it off. "You better be careful Potter, you don't want everyone to think you're compensating for anything…"

"Oho! Prongs! She got you good!" Remus laughed coming over. Sirius raised his palm up in the air and Lily high-fived it.

James purred flirtatiously, "I assure you, nothing is being compensated for on this body."

Peter showed up throwing everyone some food as he sat down. Lily was just slightly uncomfortable with James's comment, and therefore said nothing in return. She changed the conversation, targeting Sirius as she spoke, "So, Sirius—"

"—Padfoot, I don't like Sirius… it sounds so serious, don't you think?"

"—Padfoot," she corrected herself, feeling like she was intruding onto some sacred Marauder rite of passage (or something like that), "you and Remus, and Peter stole all this from the kitchens?"

"Yep," he said proudly.

"How do you do it all?" Catherine sighed. "You're like … magicians!"

They all laughed at Catherine's description. Her mother was a witch, but she had died in child birth so her muggle father had raised her since she was born.

"Yeah, you could say that," Remus laughed.

"Chug—chug—chug—chug—" sounded through the room. Lily turned around on the couch and saw a group of people standing around Philomina Peterson and Damien Martinez, both of which were gulping down giant vats of butterbeer. Lily saw James and Sirius jump up and start cheering on the two. Frank, Catherine, Remus and Peter stayed in their seats by Lily and laughed.

Remus yawned. The full moon was a week ago, but he had had so much work that needed doing that he stayed up late every night trying to catch up on it all.

"I'm off to bed, I'll see you all in the morning," Remus waved.

"But it's only eight!" Catherine yelled after him. Remus just waved his hand and disappeared up the boys staircase.

"That boy must suffer from narcolepsy…" Catherine sighed. Lily knew she wanted him to stay longer. Catherine had always had a small crush on Remus, but it was never really big enough to cause her to act on it. "Oh well…" she turned to Lily, "You and James seem to be getting along nicely."

Lily frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on Lily!" she rolled her eyes, "You were totally flirting! And you're calling his best friend by his nickname!"

"So what?" she asked seriously. "It's not that big of a deal. Sirius and I just … we understand each other. James … he's just the same as he ever was."

Catherine smirked, "You can think what you want Lily, but he's different. He used to just be arrogant, but now, I think he's just completely putting on a show for everyone, _especially_ you." Lily did not know what Catherine was trying to say, and apparently her confusion showed on her face. "It's like… before he was being arrogant for the attention, but now, I dunno, I think he's just making a mockery of himself for his own amusement and others."

Lily didn't know what to say. It was true that when they were alone in the Head common room, James was a lot quieter and less conceited than he was around large crowds of people. Even when the Marauder's were around he was actually kind of pleasant to talk to.

"See, you can't think of a counter argument!" Catherine yelled triumphantly.

"Oi Rini," Frank got up tiredly, "leave her alone. It's bad enough Potter's always on her case about dating him, she doesn't need her best friend going on about it either."

"Thank you Frank," Lily said. At least someone was defending her.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep too. This day has been too long," he stretched and yawned walking away.

Catherine and Lily looked around the room. Lily's eyes fell on James's messy hair. He was standing over a little ways away talking to some girl who Sirius had slung his arm over.

"That messy haired kid isn't looking too bad now, does he?" Catherine chimed from next to Lily.

"Give it a rest, Rini!" Lily told her exasperatedly.

"Fine! Fine! I know when my opinions not wanted," she stood up and left. "I'll see you upstairs," she waved a goodnight to her.

Lily sat on the couch for a while, staring into the flames. James Potter was the most ludicrously childish person she had ever known.

"You know Lily; he's really a good person."

Lily jumped; she had completely forgotten that Peter was still sitting on the couch with her.

"He's always helped me get through my classes. Him and Sirius and Remus."

Lily shook her head, how many more good things was she going to hear about James Potter in one night?

"Without them I don't reckon I would have made it nearly as far as I have," he praised. "And I know that I'm not brilliant like either of them, but well… they've always accepted me and stuck up for me when no one else has."

Lily felt pity for him. It was true, she knew, that Peter was never as gifted as the other boys, but for him to actually admit it made Lily's heart drop a little.

"But Peter—"

"It's Wormtail now," he told her. She nodded and made to ask her question but Sirius yelled to him from the other side of the room.

"Hey Wormtail! Get your arse over here!" Sirius yelled to him, "We're going to start a conga line!"

Peter jumped up and sang, "Coming!" as he raced off obediently to join his friends.

Peter placed his hands high up onto Sirius's shoulder blades (he was a lot shorted that Sirius was and could only reach that high), Sirius's hands rested on James's shoulders who was leading the conga line Lily had noticed. She smiled as she sipped her butterbeer, sitting comfortably on the couch in front of the fire, alone.

Everyone jumped on line and walked around the room, hands on the previous person's shoulders or waists. They paused here and there to kick out their legs and throw up their hands as they made their way across the room.

James noticed Lily was the only one still sitting in the room watching the conga line's progression and smiling as it wound its way through the room. He therefore resolved to direct the line toward her. James waved with one hand as he approached and with the other mess his hair up again. He saw as Lily's eyes make the realization of what he was about to do. She shook her head in polite protest, but he came nearer and pulled her into the line in front of him, his hands on her hips.

Lily made to get away many times, but James kept pulling her back into the line. She didn't really want to leave the conga line. After talking to Sirius and Peter, she wasn't as upset and annoyed with James as she had been before. She could feel his eyes on the back of her neck and his hands gently resting on her hips and found, to her great surprise, that she didn't even mind his touch.

Slowly the line broke apart and James reluctantly let go of Lily. Lily however, spent the rest of the night talking to James and Sirius and Peter, cracking jokes until midnight, when Professor León, the head of Gryffindor house, came in yelling at all of them to go to bed.

Lily lingered in the common room, not wanting the party to end. She was procrastinating by pretending to care for the state of the room, and was picking up some of the garbage left on the floor and chairs and table tops. Eventually, the room cleared, and only the Marauders and Lily were left in the common room.

Sirius nodded his head towards the staircase and Peter silently received the message. Sirius gave James a fleeting thumbs up before quietly closing the door behind him and Peter. James and Lily were entirely alone now.

* * *

hee hee i'm evil.

love the reviews btw! thanks everyone! you're all awesome!


	21. Confused

Chapter 21 Confused 

James turned to where Lily had stooped down to pick up some trash and walked over to her. When she stood up, he took the trash from her and threw it into the nearest rubbish bin.

"Thanks," she sighed, looking around. The mess which had been almost immeasurable could now be considered somewhat tame.

"No problem," his eyes never left her face. Lily was thankful for the dim lighting because she was feeling the color rise in her face.

James gently placed his fingers under her chin and turned her to face him. Their eyes met, and Lily's stomach did flip flops against their liking. She couldn't like James Potter, he was a … a….

She couldn't think of what he was. All she could think about was how close she was standing to him and how her nerves seemed to short circuit. To Sirius he was loyal and to Peter he was always there. Maybe Catherine was right about James's arrogant behavior, that it was all just some façade that he put on to protect and entertain himself.

"Lily," her knees shook a little as he said her name. His eyes were boring into hers in such a way that Lily felt as if he was laying bare his entire soul for her to see. "Go out with me?"

Lily laughed, "You do know how to ruin a good moment, don't you?"

James chuckled as Lily added, "Do you ever give up?"

"Not with you," he replied, pulling her closer, his hands around her waist. Lily wasn't sure if she liked being so close to James, it made her heart beat fast and the color rise in her face.

He leaned in. Lily knew what was about to happen. She wasn't sure about how she felt. She didn't want to string him on to anything; she knew how much he liked her. Could she ever feel that strongly about him? It was a little scary thinking about how deep his affection for her ran.

She felt his breath on her lips, and right before his lips made the connection with hers she turned her head. His lips settled on her cheek. He pulled his head away and looked at her bowed head.

Lily felt something warm trickle down her cheek, and she didn't look up to meet James's gaze. She didn't have the courage to. She shook her head, quietly muttering, "I'm sorry," and turned to leave. He grabbed hold of her wrist, she stopped where she stood.

"Go with me to Hogsmede? Please," he asked again. His voice was different, he didn't sound at all like he usually did. He said it quietly and his voice shook a little with hope.

"I can't James…" she tried to keep her voice steady, but she heard it shake, "I can't."

"Why?" he asked her gently.

"I … I just… I don't want to hurt you…."

"You're hurting me now," he pointed out to her.

"But I do not feel as strongly about you as you do about me," she sniffled.

"That's okay!" he tried.

"No, it's not!" she looked at him, her eyes were red as she tried to keep in the tears. "It's not okay James. I can't just lead you on. It'll only hurt you more. I don't want that."

James looked into her red, blotchy, face. He didn't like to see it so sad, so confused and frightened.

"That's not what I meant," he took her hand.

"I know, James, I know. But for now please just be content with the fact that you have such loyal friends," she whispered, stepping backwards, their hands were still connected. James had no idea by what she meant, but took her advice all the same.

She turned to leave, her hand still clasped in James's grip. He pulled her back. They're faces were so close again that Lily could feel his breath on her face. He slowly pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it, "Goodnight."

Lily's breath was completely sucked out of her chest. She couldn't even say "Goodnight," in return, so she nodded her head and turned her back to him as she made her way to the Girls Dormitories. She felt James's eyes watch her retreating figure, and when she was safely behind the closed door, she took a deep breath and leaned her head against the wood in an attempt to calm herself down before she had to face Rini upstairs.

She couldn't explain her reasoning, but letting people know that she really did like James made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she had rejected him for so long and now she had changed her mind. Or maybe it was just the thought of how her former best friend would take the news of her dating his enemy. Lily didn't know; all she knew was that if she was truly going to go out with James, she was going to have to know, without a single doubt, how she felt about him.

* * *

guahahahaha i got your hopes up:P i win.

they get together really really soon. i promise.


	22. Moony!

Chapter 22 Moony 

The next few weeks James stayed off of Lily's case about going out with him. He satisfied himself with the thought that Lily was warming up to him. She was a lot quieter when they were alone together in the Head common room, but when Catherine or Frank or the Marauders dropped by she was fun and energetic.

He couldn't help but notice that Lily glanced in his direction every chance she got, both in class and out. He liked that she was thinking about him. It gave him hope.

Lily and Catherine, along with Frank were sitting a little ways away from the Marauders in their charms class so that Lily had a good look at the Marauders without having to turn around. Lily noticed that Remus was absent from class.

"Lily! What's gotten into you?" Catherine yelled to Lily who had cast a spell on Frank that had caused his ears to shrivel up. Earlier in the class, due to lack of concentration, she had caused Catherine's hair to change colors at irregular intervals.

"Oh! Sorry Frank!" Lily rushed over to help him. Quickly she reversed the spell and Frank was standing there feeling his ears to make sure that they were as before.

"No problem…. It's all fixed," he said to her, then turned to Catherine, "I think you should give the spell a try next. Anything's safer than Lily at the moment."

Catherine smiled, raised her wand and pointed it at Lily, her eyes were closed in concentration, "Eskapipsy!"

The spell was meant to heal a broken nose, but instead, there was a loud crack and Lily's nose was replaced by a unicorn's horn. Lily felt the horn and started laughing; Catherine however, was apologizing nonstop. Frank was practically on the floor laughing as he told Catherine that the spell was, "Espiksey!"

Professor Flitwick hopped down off of his chair from which he was surveying the class, and said to Lily, "Better go to the nurse, dear, there's a simple potion that will fix that up."

Lily nodded and picked her school books up from her desk and walked through the door, still smiling at her insane nose.

When Lily arrived at the infirmary she saw Remus lying in one of the beds, half asleep. He turned his head to see the new arrival and instantly cracked up.

"You know, if it weren't for your red hair, I would never have guessed you were Lily," he chuckled.

Lily laughed, "You know, I was thinking of keeping it," she turned to his bedside mirror to look at her profile, "but I can't see anything."

Remus laughed as Madam Bonaë let out a yelp of surprise when she saw Lily.

"What happened to you dear!" she cried.

"We were practicing spells in class and this happened," she smiled. "You can fix it right?"

"Well, of course I can!" she walked happily over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a potion. "Come here dear," she told Lily, who obeyed and walked over to her. Madam Bonaë dripped a small amount of the reversal potion onto Lily's new unicorn nose and instantly, Lily saw it recede, and her original nose was back.

"Thank you," she told her.

"Not at all," Madam Bonaë insisted, putting away the potion.

Lily turned to Remus, "So… How does it look?" she asked.

"I dunno," he sighed, "James might not like it."

Lily laughed and smacked him playfully on the arm. "It looks just the same as before!"

"I dunno, has that green thing always been there?" he asked. Lily brought her hand up to her nose to feel for it when Remus said weakly, "Aha! Got you!"

Lily laughed, "Even on your sick bed you're still cracking jokes." Remus smiled proudly. Madam Bonaë had come over to tuck Remus in a little tighter, it was very cold outside and the chill seemed to seep through the walls. Lily looked into his face and noticed that his eyes had a wild gleam to them, almost animal like.

As Madam Bonaë walked into her office and shut the door, Lily leaned in to Remus and whispered, "So it's that time of the month, is it?"

Fear shined through Remus's gold colored eyes, "I don't know what you're—"

"It's okay. I've never told anyone," she consoled him. He took a deep breath to try and rest his rapidly beating heart.

"How long?" he asked.

"Since third year, I figured it out," she told him honestly. "Remus, it's okay, I don't care, honestly."

Remus stayed quiet for a while, Lily wasn't sure if she should say anything or not. He let out a small groan, and put his head into his hands. Lily put her hand on his back consolingly.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean… I shouldn't have said anything until you said…." she faltered.

"No, it's okay. I should have known someone would figure it out on their own. If Snape could…" he sighed. "I just… hate this…."

"I know it can't be easy," Lily told him. "But at least you have James, Sirius, and Peter, right?"

Remus smiled, "I do. They're the best. I can't even begin…. They've done so much for me…. And I don't think we'd even be together if it weren't for James in the first place," he told her.

"How do you mean?"

Remus took a deep breath, "Well, when they first found out, I could tell they were a little nervous around me. Peter, you know how he is, well he was the worst. He was always coming up with an excuse not to be near me. Sirius was a little reluctant to be near me too, but not nearly as much as Peter. He just… was a little more cautious, you know? But James didn't care what I was. He said I could have killed someone and he wouldn't give up on our friendship. He really pulled us all together. They really sacrificed a lot for me."

Lily was completely awestruck. So now James was not only loyal and dependable, but completely self-less. Whatever his flaws were, Lily was now forced to see a side of James that he rarely let anyone see before, always masking it with his arrogance and audacity.

"And when Sirius pulled that _stupid _prank last year, everyone thought it would be the end for us. I couldn't even look at Sirius, let alone talk to him for months. And when everyone thought that that would be the end for the Marauders, James pulled us all back together.

"He puts his faith where I've known no other person to put it, in friends and family and love. I know you don't think of him as being the kind of person who cares at all for other people, Lily, but he does," Remus spoke looking into her face that she knew was filled with turmoil. He placed his hand on hers, "He adores you. He would do anything for you."

"I know he would," she whispered, "That's what's scaring me the most."

"He knows not to push you," he told her, "He will wait forever for you. He's waited four years already."

Lily stood up, this time, her hand was around Remus's, "Thank you Remus," she smiled a little watery eyed. "Get better soon," she added, "We don't want our favorite furry friend to miss anymore classes than he needs to."

Remus smiled as she walked away, "It's Moony, now!" he yelled at her retreating figure, she turned to face him, "You can call me Moony."

"See you later Moony," she waved as she closed the door and headed to the Great Hall for lunch.

* * *

tee hee Lily hearts James. ... how cute! 

i am so sorry gelendified... Lily needed the last Marauder to make her see James's true person...

it's all a rolling stone from here on... or is it...?


	23. Secrets

Chapter 23 Secrets 

"Rini!" Lily hissed from the bottom stair. "Rini!"

Catherine looked around.

"Rini! Behind you!" Catherine turned and found Lily hiding behind a suit of armor.

"Lily? Why are you hiding?" she whispered.

"Oh," she stepped out from behind the armor, "I have no idea," she continued to whisper.

"What's up?"

"Are you free?" she asked, looking around.

"No, I've got a class in a few minutes."

"Oh, well, can you meet me in the head common room after it?"

"Yes. Sure, whatever. Can I just ask one thing?"

"What?"

"Why are we whispering?"

Lily giggled, then brought her voice up to normal speaking level, "Sorry. I didn't realize."

"It's fine," Catherine giggled. "I've got to get going now. I'll meet you in the common room right after," she promised.

"The Heads common room!" Lily yelled as Catherine walked away.

"Yes! Yes! I know!" she chimed as she walked through the door and into her class.

When Lily arrived at the Heads common room, she saw Catherine sitting down with a book opened in front of her doing her homework diligently. Lily noticed Catherine look up as she walked across the room nervously and sat down.

"What's up?" she asked Lily.

Lily sat on the couch looking around owl like, trying to determine if they were truly alone.

"Lily, are you okay?"

"Hum…?" Lily looked to her, then remembered why she was here, "Oh, um… well…." Catherine was waiting for her to speak up. "I … I have absolutely no idea!" she threw herself face down onto the seat of the couch she was sitting on.

"What's wrong?" Catherine was truly concerned.

Lily didn't know what she was doing. Admitting to it was madness! She took a deep breath, "I … think… maybe… do I?"

"Do you what?" Catherine was become a little annoyed with Lily's lack of full sentences.

"Nevermind," she got up. "Nevermind."

Catherine was really ticked off as the door shut behind Lily.

Lily couldn't explain why she didn't want anyone to know about her feelings for James. All she wanted to do was talk to him. Understand him a little more. She wanted to be near him without pressure from anyone else.

Maybe she owed that sort of truth to James, for all of those years he had been chasing her. Perhaps she owed the truth to herself rather than to others. She needed to talk to him alone, and in order for her to do this, she resolved to create a foolproof plan.

* * *

yay!!!! she admits it!!!

first step: acceptance lol

there's only a little bit left. and the love of my life is in the next one. try to sneak a peek at him. umkay...?


	24. The Foolproof Plan

Chapter 24 The Foolproof Plan 

James's spirits had never been higher since Gryffindor had won the first Quidditch match of the season. Lily was beginning to like him, he could tell. Wherever they went together, or had to be near each other, Lily's face would flush and her breathing would become fast and nervous. In class he noticed that her head turned in his directions many times, very suddenly. His heart raced with the thought that they might actually happen.

Lily was sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts when she decided to execute her foolproof plan. It had been two days since she had talked to Remus, who was now back in class looking as healthy as ever. She pulled out a small piece of spare parchment, and scribbled onto it:

_Astronomy Tower. 11 o'clock._

_L. E._

_Come alone._

She folded it up, carefully and cautiously. Then neatly wrote on folded note, 'James Potter'.

She passed the note to her classmate sitting next to her, who read the name on the front and passed it down the row of desks. Lily saw when the note landed on James's desk and her heart leapt a mile in her chest. Racing through her mind were images of herself reaching out and scooping the note from his hands and tearing it up before anyone could read it.

He picked it up, and looked at it with a quizzical expression on his face. Lily was beginning to regret giving him the note.

Sirius nudged him in the side, and pointed to the letter. Lily saw him shrug and open it. Her stomach danced inside her. She looked away before James could even start reading its contents, her face burning. She did not see if he pocketed the note or not because she did not look back once he had unfolded it. She didn't talk to him or even dare look at him for the rest of the day.

Severus Snape was sitting behind James in class that day, and it was not by choice. He saw as James was slipped a note out of the corner of his eye and surreptitiously looked over his shoulder to read it. His heart dropped to the floor as he recognized the handwriting and initials. Anger seemed to pulsate through his blood and he knew the cause was jealousy.

Lily Evans, the love of his life, was finally giving James Potter, the boy who had made his life a living hell, the one chance he had been begging for since third year. A loud cracking noise sounded through the room but Snape didn't remove his eyes from the note James had placed in his book, noticing how he, once again, ruffled his hair to keep it messy.

Distantly Snape heard something shattering and vaguely heard himself think, 'That's just my heart'; but it was really the windows crashing to the floor.

* * *

if you guess Snape, you were right! ha ha i and-hearts-semicolon him!!!


	25. A Breaking Heart

Chapter 25 A Breaking Heart 

Snape was fuming. His heart was hurting at Lily's betrayal. Sure they weren't friends anymore, but she still knew how he felt about James. She knew how the Marauders had tortured him over the past six years.

He let free a roar of anger in the middle of the corridor as he made his way back to the Slytherin common room, and turned his wand onto the nearest suit of armor. The suit of armor blew apart as students screamed in terror and surprise and either ran away or took cover behind their books.

He didn't greet any of the students in the Slytherin common room, but rather marched angrily up to his dormitory. As soon as he slammed the door closed he hurled the books he was holding in his hands across the room, they hit the wall with a loud thud and slid all the way down to the floor, landing in a heap, all the pages and notes were thrown askew. He strode across the room trying to regain himself, but when he reached his bedside, he turned unexpectedly and knocked his nightstand onto the floor.

The pain hurt, but he wasn't about to admit it. He'd much rather stew in hatred and spite of James Potter.

James Potter; the Quidditch Hero and Head Boy. He had friends, _loyal friends_; he had money, and family and a happy home. He had everything Snape wanted, except for Lily. And now… now he had her. Why did _he_ get everything? Why couldn't he, Severus Snape, ever get anything? Why was he doomed to live his life alone?

His knees buckled and his heart gave way to the pain. It was hard to breathe, and his chest ached. He was crying into his hands. He hated this moment with every fiber of his being. There must be something he could do, there _had _to be something that he could do to stop it; to stop them.

He stood up. He had to talk to her. It was his last chance. James Potter could, nor would, ever change, and he convinced himself that he had to keep Lily from making the biggest mistake of her life. He left his dormitory in a mess, and ran down the stairs, throwing his cloak onto his shoulders. His robes billowed around his ankles as he walked brusquely toward the Astronomy tower. He would wait there for her to show up.

* * *

yes, i know it's small, but the next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for lol

and i have a HUGE soft spot for Snape. i think it's sad... poor Snape... :'(


	26. Confrontation

WARNING!!! SKIP THIS CHAPTER IS SNAPE/LILY **_SERIOUSLY _**DISTURBS YOU!

but i still think you should still read it... and i'm sorry, i thought it was this chapter that L and J get together, but it's the next one... my bad. :)

* * *

Chapter 26 Confrontation 

Lily was nervous. Her heart was racing. It was ten o'clock when Lily snuck out of her dormitory. She walked silently through the corridors, trying her best to tame her rapidly beating heart.

What was she going to say to him when he arrived? What was going to happen? Why did she even want to meet with him so late at night in the first place? Why couldn't they have talked in the Heads common room? She couldn't help but think, 'Something terrible is going to happen.'

She quietly pushed the door open and slipped out onto the rooftop, softly shutting the door behind her. When she turned around, her heart stopped, someone was already there. Someone with black hair.

At first sight she thought it was James, but when the figure turned to face her she realized it was the complete opposite. She let out a gasp of surprise and stepped backward.

"You should go," she said quietly after a moment of silence between the two. James was going to come soon. The whole school knew of their mutual loathing of each other. She didn't want something to happen tonight that she knew she was going to regret.

Snape's eyes found hers, and Lily could see they were sad, broken, hurt eyes. She looked away. He took a step closer, "Lily… don't do this, please," his voice was a little hoarse.

She took a deep breath through her nose; Snape knew she was trying to regain herself. "Severus, please leave," she said again, her tone a little more stern.

"What ever happened to 'I know he's an arrogant toerag, Sev!'?" he asked, she refused to look at his face.

"People change. You should know all about that, shouldn't you?" she sounded colder than she meant to.

"Potter doesn't!" he yelled in angry pain. "Don't you remember all of the humiliation he's caused to everyone, particularly me! Him and his little friends! They almost _killed_ me once! Remember!"

Lily was a little frightened with his livid accusations; Snape saw it and immediately and softened his tone. He didn't want to scare her.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Severus, and James saved you that night, we both know it," she defended.

He turned his back to her.

"He's not at all like he seems!" she told him. "He's actually really gentle and kind."

An icy wind blew, "Gentle?" Snape asked incredulously. "Kind? Lily, he's a _bully!_"

"No, he's not! He's different now! You're jealously, and the grudge you hold against him, is blinding you!" she was angry at Snape for being here, for trying to convince her that her feelings for James were uncalled for.

"I am not jealous of James Potter!" Snape lied, his anger gaining.

"Yes you are! And I'm sick of this, Severus!" she stamped her foot her hair flying in the chilly wind.

Snape walked towards where she stood in the middle of the rooftop, "You deserve better than him Lily."

"Like you?" her hands were on her hips as Snape nodded, 'yes'.

Lily's sarcastic nature took the better of her, "You mean I deserve a man who will insult my heritage, even though he doesn't _care_ about where I come from? I deserve a man who is to become a _Death Eater_?" she raised a finger to his chest, "I deserve a man who will _help bring about the destruction of a beautiful world_?"

Snape shook his head, "No! You deserve someone who will love you! Lily, I do! I love you!" he held her hand, she yanked it away.

"NO! NO YOU DO NOT!" she screamed. "If you did we wouldn't be here now! Severus, you made your choice! You obviously do not love me!" she was crying. "I trusted you, Sev. I trusted you when no one else would! You were my best friend and you hurt me! You were like a brother to me. You introduced me to this world, and I don't think I could ever forget that. But we're not the same anymore. We're different. We grew apart."

She looked to the floor and whispered, "Severus, you broke my heart."

Snape was standing there, on the verge of tears, shaking his head. This could not be over. "Please, Sev. Don't make me hate you. Don't make me hate all of the times we spent together," she requested, "Those times were happy times, of when we were younger. Don't make me hate my memories with you."

Snape wanted nothing more than to comfort her. "Please, let me prove it to you. Anything. I'll do anything you ask of me."

Lily looked up and looked deep into his eyes, "Show me your left arm."

Snape's left arm laid still at his side, he couldn't bring his eyes to meet hers.

"No," he gasped, "No, Lily!" She turned her back to him and opened the door. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her close. She could smell his strong natural sent penetrate her nostrils, and before she knew what had happened, Snape had sunk his thin lips onto hers.

He was kissing her passionately and sloppily, due to his inexperience. She was practically screaming into his mouth in protest, but he didn't sever the connection until Lily had slapped him across the face. Her angry eyes caught movement in the doorway; she barely glimpsed the messy hair as it disappeared down the stairs.

"James! NO!" she made to run after him. Snape however had her wrist firmly in his grip. "Let me go…" she glared at Snape.

"No."

"Let me go now," she commanded again, even more serious than before.

"No," Snape replied just as serious as she was. Lily's anger was white hot, and she wasn't even about to control it. Snape yelped in pain as his skin burned where he held Lily's wrist and he let go.

Lily ran to the open door and without looking back disappeared down the spiral stairs, leaving Snape standing in the cold at the top of the tower. She was hoping with all of her heart that James had not gotten too far, and that the damage that had been done may yet be fixed.

* * *

no, Lily did not ever love Snape. Snape was like a brother, and when he called her a mudblood, she was betrayed and hurt... family can break your hearts too... so she NEVER had romantic feelings for Snape... just brotherly ones...

the thing i really love about Snape is that ... he's so pathetic... lol

yes... i promise, the next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for.


	27. Forgiveness

YAY!!! here it is!

* * *

Chapter 27 Forgiveness

Shock, disgust, betrayal, hate, and pain shot through James all at once. He couldn't believe his eyes. Lily Evans, was kissing Severus Snape! This was blasphemy! Did she just like hurting him?

He was so angry and distraught that he didn't even bother putting back on his invisibility cloak as he fumed away from the astronomy tower. Why call him up there to see that!? Did she hate him that much!?

"James!" he head Lily call, "James, wait! Please!" He continued to walk. "James! Wait! _Stop_!" she caught up. He didn't look at her.

"Stop! Look at me!" she pulled on his wrist. The anger and pain in his chest burst like a dam.

"Look at you? How can I ever _look_ at you after that?!" he yelled.

"James, please! Someone will hear—" she pleaded. He cut her off.

"Let them hear! Students in the Transfiguration corridor! Out of bed!" he bellowed.

"James, _stop it_!" Lily hissed, pulling on his hand again. He tore it away from her grip.

"Why tell me to meet you somewhere alone, if all you wanted to do was flaunt your feelings for Snape?!"

Lily looked into his face, "I didn't know he would be there. I didn't mean for this to happen, you must know that!"

He turned on his heel and began walking away from her, she ran in front of him. "You can't honestly think that I love Snape!" she cried.

He stayed silent. No, he didn't honestly think that, but what else was he supposed to make from it. He closed his eyes to try and get the memory of the scene out of his mind, but it was all he could picture, like a tiny movie clip, them kissing on the tower's top.

"Every time I close my eyes I see it! I see you and him!" he told her in a severely calm voice. "You know how I feel about him! _You know!_" he yelled.

"I was leaving and he pulled me back! I didn't realize what had happened until it did! James you have to believe me! It was an accident!" she cried.

"Do you love him?" he asked suddenly looking down at her.

She looked at him completely disbelievingly, "How could you ask that? You know I—"

"Do you love him?" he repeated. She looked up into his hard to read face. His expression was stony, and in the dark, shaded.

She shook her head, "No, I do not love Severus Snape, nor will I ever. James, _I love you_."

He couldn't believe his ears. She didn't just admit to _loving_ him. It was madness!

"I didn't think I did at first, but I do! Losing you would be like losing some annoying childish part of my heart!" she attempted to explain where her strong feelings came from. She took a step closer. "Snape and me were friends, as close as you and Sirius. But we grew apart, and well, I wouldn't have realized this without your friends, but, you and I are more similar than we can even dream. And I realize that now! James, please, forgive me. I'm so sorry for hurting you," she was crying into his chest, "I didn't mean for it to happen! _You have to believe me!_"

Then softly she added, "Kissing Snape was the biggest thing I will ever regret."

James stroked her hair as a single tear slid down his face, "So… You and Snape kissed?"

Lily looked up alarmed; he wasn't going to forgive her. She cried even harder, "I didn't mean for it to happen!" she was hysterical. She only just realized how much James meant to her, she couldn't let him go now. She threw her hands around his neck to try and keep him there with her until he saw the truth. She wasn't going to give him up without a fight.

James calmed her by stroking her hair, he was smiling. "I was insinuating that we, perhaps, do something about it," he chuckled at her reaction. She looked up to his face quizzically.

"Perhaps, _cauterize_ the wound?" he suggested.

Lily gasped, "No! Don't start a fire!"

James chuckled; Lily became thoroughly confused at what was happening, and scared at the idea losing him, so she settled on clinging tighter to him. "I meant, what do you think we should do to erase this incident from our memories…?"

Lily felt her whole body lighten as she held James closer. He forgave her! He really did!

He pulled her a little bit away, and lifted her chin with his fingers. Her tear filled lashes sparkled in the moonlight coming through the window as they looked into each others eyes.

Lily felt the breath in her chest drain as James drew nearer. It was almost like a dementor's kiss, except, Lily imagined, that the dementor's kiss would leave you sad and drained, but with James all the despair was leaving her, and happiness was filling in its stead.

Their lips connected with such an explosion that they were both surprised fireworks were not going off right now.

"What's that, my precious?" they heard a voice heading in their direction.

James broke the kiss, and listened carefully. He turned back to face Lily and spoke one word, "Filtch." He then grabbed her hand and ran down the hallway and out of sight. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the fat lady, who was too asleep to reprimand them for their late night excursion.

James walked with Lily through the common room, and stopped when they reached the door leading to the girl's dormitories above. They kissed for what felt like the whole night, before Lily said she had to go to sleep.

"No you don't," he pleaded, "Stay a little longer."

Lily shook her head, "I can't, Rini will suspect something."

"So we're keeping this a secret then?" he asked.

"I dunno? Do you want to?" she smiled.

James nodded. "That might be fun."

"Head Boy and Girl Hook Up…. That'll give the school paper something to write about," she smiled.

"Meet me by the lake at two tomorrow," he told her. She nodded in consent and turned to leave. Just as she was about to close the door, James whispered, "I love you," and kissed her through the crack. She kissed him back, and when they broke apart, she said, "I know."

* * *

GAH!

how Star Wars... where Hans is all like "I love you!" and Lea is all like "I know!"

so ... there's a whole Part two that involves all of the marauders and Catherine and Frank finding out about the two of them. It's pretty funny... but then Snape makes a reappearance... but no lily and him kissing... promise.

that scene was even a little too much for me... seriously... Snape and Lily totally don't belong together... lol

so i hope you liked this... you don't have to go looking for part two i'm going to put it in right with this one... so you'll know... but i think i'll wait until the weekend before i start posting it... give all you guys time to adjust lol

i'm so happy you all like it so much. really. brightens up my day when i read all the reviews...


	28. The Lakeside

Part II Secrets Revealed 

Chapter 28 The Lakeside

Lily walked down to the lake at two o'clock on Saturday. It was an ice cold December day, but there wasn't any snow on the ground. In order to come down here alone, Lily had to tell both Catherine and Frank that she wanted to go up to the owlery to write a letter to her mum, which she hadn't done since school began. They wanted to accompany her, but Lily insisted that they didn't need to.

She felt guilty about having to lie to her best friends, but at the same time, she didn't mind it. It was kind of fun, sneaking around with James, pretending in her mind that he was some foreboding and shady character. Just to make sure she had an alibi, Lily went to the owlery and wrote a small, short note to her mother, and sent it away with one of the school owls.

She watched as the owl took off through the window and turned to look down at her watch, it was fifteen minutes to two. She set off immediately, trying to look like she was heading somewhere casually even though her heart was racing with anticipation. She walked all the way around the lake until she reached the beech tree that she knew the Marauder's were particularly fond of and waited.

She was late, and James wasn't there. She thought that maybe he had gone inside because it was so cold out. She would just have to wait a little while longer. She walked around the tree trying to warm up by moving.

This was insane! They should have agreed to meet somewhere warmer next time.

"Crunch—" Lily wheeled around, looking in alarm. Paranoia was setting in fast. She heard the crunching sound again, but this time coming closer and she began to move away. Just as she was about to turn her back and leave, an animal came out from the forest. It was beautiful, with such a friendly countenance.

"Why hello," she whispered, trying to mix her voice in with the wind so as not to scare it off. "You're very handsome."

The animal came closer to her, and she reached out to touch the antlers. She couldn't believe this, usually wild animals tried to stay away from people.

"What's a stag like you doing all the way out here?" she asked it. She had never, in all the six years that she had stayed at Hogwarts, known ordinary animals to graze on its grounds.

The stag gently pulled his antlers away from her hand and walked around her. Lily's head rotated so that she could keep an eye on it. It began walking into the forest. Just as it reached the edge it turned around and called for her to follow by moving his head.

Lily hesitated. The Forbidden Forest was dangerous. The stag felt her caution and walked back to her. He pulled on her sleeve with his mouth gently, and she followed it through the leafless canopy of branches. They didn't walk to deep into the woods, but deep enough in so that Lily couldn't see the castle anymore. She turned around to check out her surroundings but when she looked back the stag was gone. Panic flooded into her. She was all alone in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, and it was freezing.

"Boo!"

"ARGH!" she screamed in terror and turned on the spot before she realized someone was laughing. She calmed down her rather rapidly beating heart just long enough to exclaim in mixed relief and anger, "Don't _do_ that!"

James wrapped his arms around her and laughed into her hair. The sight of Lily spinning around in pseudo terror was hilarious. "Why would you do that?" she was laughing now with James in relief.

"The opportunity arose and I took advantage of it," he chuckled.

"Meanie," was all Lily could think of in response.

"Are you even curious as to how I found this place?" she asked him when he started lighting a fire.

"I know how you found it," he smirked. Lily didn't believe him.

"So you know that a _stag_ led me here, and then abandoned me at _this_ spot?" she asked.

"Yep," James didn't look up. "Come on, sit down, it's nice and warm here."

Lily sat down next to him on the cold earth. "How could you know something as random as that!?" she asked.

"I'm not a Marauder for nothing, you know," he replied proudly, pulling her into his arms. Lily contented herself with James's excuse and pulled out her wand. In no time at all there was a ring of candles lining the perimeter of the clearing in which they sat.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"It helps to warm the place up faster, by trapping in the heat around this area," she replied. And sure enough within minutes the whole clearing became so warm that they could each comfortably take off their traveling cloaks. They sat by the fire for a while in silence, merely enjoying each others company.

"Love is a pretty strong feeling," James abruptly mused aloud. Lily turned to look at him as he elaborated on his thoughts. "You went from hating me to loving me so fast, what made you change your mind?"

She turned around and rested her head back on his chest, "It was your friends. I just… well… we talked."

"About what?"

Lily sighed, "Well about you," she stated firmly. "They made me realize that you're a lot more different than you portray yourself to be."

"How so?" he smiled.

"Everyone's got their own tragic flaw, yours happens to be pride, I've noticed. You're a proud creature, James Potter," she sighed, "but your heart is big."

James smiled. "Where did you tell everyone you were going?"

"Owlery, to send a letter," she answered promptly. James chuckled at her inexperience.

"That's no good, that really only gives you an hour at most."

"I know," she defended herself, "but it was all I could think of. Where did you tell the Marauder's you were?"

"A walk around the lake."

"What? Won't they come looking for you?" she asked.

"Probably. But if they do, we would hear them before they heard us," he smiled.

"You're so clever," she rolled her eyes.

"It's nice to know, you think so too."

They lounged around in the warm clearing for a long time. It was nearly dinner before James let Lily head out of the forest alone first before following her five minutes later to ensure that no one could catch onto them. They agreed to meet in the charms classroom at eleven the next night.

* * *

I AM A COMPLETE DUNCE!!! i don't know what happened, but i completely forgot to add in this chapter, so if anyone was confused, SORRY!!! i didn't mean to, it's only a good thing i figured it out now, as opposed to later, that would have been really bad.  



	29. Fuffy Fun

um... this is fluff filler lol it's just cute and fun...

* * *

Chapter 29 Fluffy Fun 

"James," Lily whispered, shutting the door behind her, "are you here?" There was no answer. Lily walked quietly over and sat down on top of one of the desks.

She screamed as something grabbed hold of her leg and pulled her under the desk. She glimpsed the messy hair and instantly reprimanded its owner.

"Must you scare me every time we meet?" she asked laying back on the floor in relief. James crept over her, and looked down at her face, with a huge smile.

"I would, but I just love to see you jump," he teased.

"That's too bad," Lily sighed, "because I love this most," she pulled him by his collar and their lips met.

James pulled away a little and sighed, "Mhm… this is a lot more fun than that any old day." Lily nodded to tell him to shut up and continue kissing her. They stayed lying on the floor kissing and talking about nothing in particular.

"Time?" Lily asked in between a kiss.

James looked down at his watch, "Quarter past two."

Lily sat up, "We should go back." James pulled her back down in protest.

"Someone will notice we're gone!" she tried.

"So?" was all she got in response as he showered her neck with kisses.

"So if we're going to keep this a secret, we shouldn't be noticed," she stood up.

"Oh, alright, fine. We'll go," he stood up, and then pulled her back, "but I won't go easy."

Lily giggled a, "Come on," and walked with him to the doorway. She cracked the door open, checked to see if the coast was clear, and then, pulling James along with her, they walked back to the Gryffindor common room trying to hush their laughter with James's hands snaked around her waist.


	30. Holiday Plans

um... if you didn't read "The Lakeside" chappy it's because i was a dunce and didn't realize that i never posted it, i only uploaded it, and so ... yes... that's why you may have been a tid bit confused. so ... yeah... if you want to check it out, it's up now... It's chapter 28, "The Lakeside"

yes. yes... hmmm..?

* * *

Chapter 30 Holiday Plans

The Christmas holiday was approaching. James and Lily met every single night during December, except for tonight. James had told Lily he had to spend some time with the Marauders otherwise they'd become suspicious, so Lily, Frank and Catherine, were all sitting around the Gryffindor common room. Frank was writing a letter to Alice, his long term girlfriend who had graduated last year. Catherine was sitting by the fire reading a book, and Lily was doing some last minute homework.

Catherine looked up from her book, "Lily, I thought you'd finished everything?"

Lily nodded, "So did I, but I forgot this." She gestured to the paper in front of her.

"How? You've been away doing your homework every night for the past month!"

"Oh," Lily was taken aback, "Professor Herby assigned this essay to the class yesterday, last minute and I thought I should do it now before it's too late."

"The Herbology teacher?" she asked, then added, "He rarely assigns any essays,"

"Hence why I forgot this," Lily smiled. She had managed to evade the prospect of uncomfortable questions successfully.

Frank looked up from his letter, "You're going home again for Christmas this year, Lils?"

Lily looked up and nodded, "Yeah, I thought I might. I haven't seen Mum or Dad in ages."

Really, Lily was all too enthusiastic about going home, because it meant that James and her didn't have to sneak around. They had agreed to meet over the winter holiday as much as possible and to write. It was particularly easy for them to meet now that they could both apparate.

"Yeah, me too. Alice invited everyone over to her apartment on Christmas Day," Frank told them.

"That sounds lovely," Catherine sighed. She was spending Christmas at Hogwarts because her dad had to travel to the states on some business.

"Rini, are you sure you don't want to come? Mum said that there's more than enough room for you to join in," Lily asked her downcast friend.

"No, no, that's quite all right. It'll be nice here. Hogwarts has always been lovely in the winter."

Lily smiled a little sadly. She wasn't sure whether Rini was being entirely honest, but if she didn't want to go with her over break Lily couldn't make her.

"Is anyone else staying behind either?" Lily asked.

Rini shrugged, "I didn't check the list. I'll be fine, Lily, honest."

"I know, I just don't like the idea of you staying here all alone on Christmas."

"It won't be as bad as you think it will. Really, you're worrying about nothing," Catherine reassured her.

The next day everyone who was leaving Hogwarts had packed and was now on the train heading back to Kings Cross station. Lily and Frank were sharing a compartment with the Marauders who were unusually sleepy.

"What's gotten into all of you?" Lily tried waking them up, James's head was lolling on her shoulder.

"We're sleepy! We had a long night," Peter defended.

"How late were you up?" she asked.

"Late," Sirius grunted leaning his head more comfortably against the window. Remus was plain 'out cold' as the expression ran.

Lily looked to Frank for an explanation, but he merely shrugged and settled himself more comfortably on his bench and fell asleep.

Lily sighed. This was going to be a long, boring trip.

She sat there for five minutes trying to entertain herself, but it wasn't working. She was too full of energy. She pulled out her wand and began tapping on everyone's sleepy faces. It took her close to an hour to completely re-transfigure everyone's appearance for her own amusement, and when she finished she sat back and looked upon her masterpieces.yeah..

Frank was dawning an excellent mustache whose ends grew so long that they reached past his chin, and his hair was long and wavy. Sirius had on a goatee, and his hair was shortened considerably, but styled ever so nicely. She gave Remus a super sheik look by growing out his sideburns and putting his long hair into a pony tail; then she conjured up a pain of giant sunglasses and placed them on his face to complete the look.

She liked James's hair the way it was, so she left that alone, but she gave him a great furry beard and a mole over his upper lip. Peter was the hardest to do because he was so pasty and plump that his face shined a little too much. She had to pull out her makeup and put some powder to dim its luminous nature. Then she thought she might as well go the whole extra kilometer.

Lily grew out his hair with her wand and curled it up very nicely. Then she put some eye shadow and lip-gloss on him. When she stood back she found she was particularly proud of Peter's feminine appearance.

"James," Lily shook him a little, "come on, we have to do that thing we were talking about earlier." She laughed as his beard bounced every time his jaw opened and closed.

"Huh? Wha' thing?" he mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"That _thing_…." Lily hissed into his ear. "That you like _so much_…."

James woke with a start, "Oh! That thing!" Lily smiled and shook her head as she got up.

"You coming?" she asked, James followed her out the door. He didn't even notice the new identities that he and his friends had been given.

They found an empty compartment and James flew at Lily as if magnetized to her.

"You know what times we're meeting right?" she questioned.

"Yes, I know them all," he rubbed his nose against hers, "and don't be surprised if I show up at other times. I can barely stand to stay away from you now."

Lily smiled, "Aw… you're so sweet." They kissed. After a while Lily couldn't control her giggling.

"What is it?" James asked looking at her.

Lily was giggling so hard that it took her a while to form the words into a sentence properly, "I—I always wondered—" she snickered, "—what it felt like to kiss a bearded man."

James was completely taken aback by this. "Er…?"

Lily pulled out her mirror and he looked into it. "When did you do this?" he laughed. "I like the mole."

Lily giggled, "When you were all sleeping. I'm glad you like it. Peter's my favorite. But Sirius and Remus… they look pretty _di-_vine."

* * *

that's what they all get for staying out all night with Remus lol 

sirius's hair goes back to being long... don't worry lol

P.S. Snape already knows about Lily and James getting together... because he was there when she ran after him. He's got another part coming up, but it's not for a long while... not until somewhere near chapter 40 or 50 ... or something like that... :D


	31. The First Engagement

wait for it... wait for it...

dramatic pause

big smile Here it is:D

* * *

Chapter 31 The First Engagement 

"My hair! It's gone!" Sirius was yelling into his image reflecting from the window.

"Who did this?"

"Oh shut up Padfoot, at least you don't look like a girl!" Peter was trying to wipe off some of the makeup Lily had put on his face.

"This is actually kind of interesting," Frank smirked twirling the ends of his mustache. Remus was roaring with laughter at his insanely large sideburns and ponytail.

"This isn't funny! Who did this?!" Sirius was distraught over the loss of his hair. "If it's Snape I swear I'll never let him rest in peace."

"Relax Sirius," Frank said, "Snape isn't even on the train. He stays every year at Hogwarts, remember."

"I don't care," Sirius snarled, "I want to know who did this to my _beautiful_ hair!"

Lily laughed as she walked in with James and raised her hand. Sirius's jaw dropped.

"You?!" he asked. Lily smiled as she nodded her head. "First you take the mirror and—"

"Sirius! NO!" she lunged at him, her hands outstretched to try and cover his mouth, but it was too late, he had already said the thing she didn't want everyone to hear.

"The mirror?" James asked, "You mean, Sirius's other mirror?"

"Sirius you oaf!" Lily reprimanded him, "You weren't supposed to tell anyone!"

Lily felt Sirius's smile in the palm of her hand, then something warm and wet slide across it.

"Ew! You didn't have to lick my hand!" she cried, wiping her salvia strewn hand across his sleeve.

"That's what you get for cutting off all of my hair and giving me this unsightly blemish upon my visage," he told her, pointing to his mouth.

"It's a goatee!" she cried throwing her hands in the air, "And your hair will grow back!"

"All the same, you should have asked me first before you did this," he folded his arms.

"You're such a girl," Lily sighed, sitting down on the bench.

"No, I am!" Lily wheeled her head around to see Peter with all of her makeup smeared on his face. She laughed.

"You looked so pretty though Peter!" she pinched his pudgy cheeks.

"I look like a transvestite!" he cried slapping her hand away.

"Wait, what about the mirror?" James revisited the subject.

"Nothing," Lily quickly answered. Sirius was smiling mischievously.

"Lily stole the mirror," he said, Lily put her head in her hands. "We had a nice little chat about you a two in the morning."

"Is that so?" James turned to look at Lily. She looked up at him blushing.

"I was going to return it!" she defensively retaliated.

"I am impressed," James scanned her, "I would never have thought that _Lily Evans_, Head Girl, would have stolen anything."

Lily chuckled as Sirius replied, "That's what I said too!"

"Remus, you like what I've done to your hair, don't you?" she tried to bring the subject away from the mirror.

"Oh yes! I love these sideburns!" he answered enthusiastically feeling them at the side of his face with a huge smile playing on his lips.

Frank leaned over and tried to tickle her with the ends of his mustache, "This is hilarious. Wait until Alice see's this. She'll go gaga!"

"I'm glad at least two of the five people here like their new looks," Sirius scowled at Lily.

"So, Lily, ever wondered what kissing a bearded man is like?" James scooted a little closer.

"Ew, no," she pushed him away. "I already know. It feels like kissing carpet." James looked a little put out as Lily smiled, playfully, at him.

The train pulled up to the station two hours later. Platform 9 ¾ was packed with students all trying to get out to meet their families on the other side of the barrier. James and Lily could only wave a goodbye to each other because of the Marauders and Frank's presence.

"Tuny!" Lily yelled as she ran towards her older sister Petunia. Petunia was plain compared to Lily, with blue eyes and short blonde hair; her countenance resembled that of a horse's. "I didn't know you were coming!" she threw her arms around her. Petunia didn't hug back.

"Mum and dad told me to get you because they wouldn't be able to make it."

"I've missed you," Lily pulled away, "Tell me everything!" She started pushing the trolley toward the parking lot.

Petunia spoke with an edge to her voice, "Nothing too exciting has happened." Something sparkled in the light from Petunia's left hand. Lily shrieked.

"Nothing special has happened!?" and picked up her sister's hand, "_You're engaged_!"

Petunia smiled and nodded. "When?" Lily cried.

"Last month," she thought back, "around mid-November."

"Look at the size of it!" Lily investigated the ring. "It's huge! Like the size of my _fist_! How do you even hold your hand up?"

Petunia was enjoying the attention that Lily was giving her. Usually Lily was the one getting all of the attention because she was the only witch in the family, and Lily knew Petunia would often times become jealous of her abilities.

Petunia popped the trunk of the car open and Lily put her trunk in. "That's wonderful Tuny! I'm so happy for you!" they walked around to their car doors. Just as Lily was about to get in the car, someone whipped her around and kissed her. She would have fought back with the person but within a second she realized who the lips belonged to.

James smiled as he pulled away from her, "I couldn't let you leave without saying a proper goodbye, could I?"

"No," she smiled, "I don't believe you could."

"Prongs!" they heard Sirius shouting, "Where the bloody hell are you?"

"You better go," she kissed him again.

"I am taking that cloak away from you the moment I find you!" Sirius shouted looking blindly around the parking lot.

James threw his invisibility cloak around him and disappeared. Lily blinked, unsure of what she just witnessed. Sirius turned his head to look in her direction and she quickly jumped into the car and closed the door.

"What was that about?" Petunia asked as Lily locked the door.

"Nothing," Lily breathed, "Let's go home."

Petunia turned the ignition and drove out of the parking lot.

"So when's the wedding date?"

Petunia smiled, "The summer after next."


	32. Christmas

Chapter 32 Christmas

"Happy Christmas Lily!" James threw his arms around her. Lily was standing in her backyard when James apparated there to meet her.

"Happy Christmas!" she cried throwing her arms around him. There was a gift bow on top of her head courtesy of her mum, who had stuck it there.

James smiled and pulled out from behind him a package. It was a relatively large box with some holes in it, and a beautiful pink ribbon keeping it closed together. James loved the sight of Lily's face which glowed when she saw it.

"Open it," he told her. She placed that large box on the snow covered patio and tugged at the ribbon. She opened the lid and peered inside.

"You shouldn't have! It's beautiful!" she cried, pulling out a small grey and black striped kitten. It's yellow eyes were large and slightly frightened by the brightness of its surroundings.

James sat down and watched Lily play with it. The kitten was pawing at the little pink ribbon that Lily trailed across the ground for it to chase.

"It's adorable! Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"A girl I think," he rang a little bell and the kitten came over to him. "What are you going to name her?"

Lily watched it play with James in the snow for a while and then decided, "Lyra."

"Sorry?" the kitten was pawing at James's face.

Lily laughed. "What about Lyra?"

James picked it up and held its face to his, "What do you think? Lyra?" he asked the kitten. The kitten pawed at his face and meowed softly. "I think she likes it."

They sat outside and played with Lyra until a voice from the kitchen beckoned for Lily to come in.

"Coming!" she called, scooping the kitten up. James stood up holding the box. The ribbon was now tied securely around the kitten's neck as she tried to chew it off. "Come in with me," Lily told James.

"Oh, no, that's okay." James declined.

"Come on, I want you to meet my mum and dad," she pulled his hand, "besides, it's rude if you don't say hello."

Lily pulled him along with her through the backdoor.

"Padfoot is going to wonder where I've gone," he mumbled.

"Oh, honestly, just show up with some candy in your pockets and say you went to Honeydukes," she tugged but he didn't budge.

"James…" Lily turned around, "are you feeling a little _shy_?" she teased.

"What!? Of course not!" he exclaimed. Lily giggled.

"You are!"

"No I'm not," he said, very unconvincingly.

"Then come in with me," she smirked. James didn't answer. "You have nothing to be afraid of, right Lyra?" she cuddled the kitten. "Tell James here he's being silly," she held the kitten up to James's face, it meowed big and wide. "See," she said, "no one's going to eat you. Come in," she pulled his arm, and he followed her into the kitchen.

"Hi mum!" Lily walked over to the stove, "Look what I just got!" she put Lyra down on the counter top. She prowled about poking her little head into the bowls.

"How cute!" her mother exclaimed stirring the contents of a pot on the stove and tickling the top of Lyra's head. She had Lily's eyes, but her hair was blonde and long. James stood in the doorway shyly.

"Out of the way!" a voice yelled from behind him. James moved aside as a man walked into the room with a big box that covered his whole torso and face. All James could make out was that he had very dark red hair, which was streaked with grey. He placed the box down in the corner on the kitchen and then looked up breathing heavily, "Where's Tuny?" the man asked looking around.

"Somewhere with Vernon I expect," Lily's mother said.

"Speaking of Vernon," Lily interrupted, "mum, dad, this is James," she walked over to James in the corner and brought him into better light. "James Potter."

"Dear heavens, you're engaged!" Lily's dad cried, "You've not even finished school yet!"

Lily chuckled, "No, dad, we're just dating."

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Good God."

"So, James, would you like something to eat?" Lily's mum offered.

"Oh, no thank you Mrs. Evans, I actually have to leave really soon," he indicated to the door.

"Please, call me Emily," she waved the wooden spoon in her hand around, "and are you sure dear? We have plenty of food to go around," she indicated to the porridge she was cooking on the stove.

"It looks delicious, but I couldn't," James reiterated.

"So, James, you're a wizard?" Mr. Evans shook his hand.

James smiled, "Yes sir."

"Still in school?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Last year," he added proudly.

"Good. Good." Lily's father mused. "Well Lily, he's an improvement over that other bloke. He was very troubled if you ask me…."

"Dad," Lily reprimanded, "you know we were only ever friends."

"All the same," he sighed.

Lily's mother spoke from the stove, "Do you know dear Severus?"

James was completely taken aback, "Snape? He lives _here_?"

Lily looked up, willing him not to lose his nerve.

"Well, not here exactly," her father spoke, "He lives just down the road. In Spinner's End."

"Poor boy, you can hear his parents fighting from all the way over here," Lily's mother sighed. "He just needs a friend, Harold." James assumed that Harold was Lily's father's name.

"Yeah, well, he's got plenty of them now," Lily said bitterly.

"So you know Severus, then?" Mr. Evans addressed James.

He nodded grimly, "Unfortunately."

"James and Severus don't get along, Dad" Lily supplied gently.

"Oh, well, righty-o!" he tried to change the subject, "Either of you care to help me untangle these Christmas lights?"

He stooped down to open the box. James walked over to help him.

"Lily! You're kitten is soaking wet!" Mrs. Evans cried.

"Lyra! Did you jump in the sink!?" she laughed, pulling out her wand to dry it off. Once it was dry she placed Lyra on the floor. It streaked off across the room to play with the tinsel dangling off of the bottom branches of the Christmas Tree.

She walked up the stairs to get James's Christmas present, and when she came back James was tangled in a string of light bulbs.

"Lily! This—won't—light-up!" James looked frustrated, with the string of little light bulbs strewn across his arms and torso. His wand was aloft.

"You have to plug it into the wall," she laughed plugging the end into the outlet.

"Oh…." he looked closely at how the lights lit up as she plugged it into the outlet.

"Here, you try," Lily unplugged it and handed the end to him. He investigated the prongs that were sticking out of the plastic and then the outlet's coordinating holes. He matched them up and then pushed the prongs through the holes.

The lights lit up as James's face did. "Look at that! Ecklectrinckity!" he shouted amazed. Lily laughed. He unplugged and plugged back in the lights.

"You're like a five year old," Lily teased him. Mr. Evans turned on the television.

James had never before seen a television set and therefore shouted, "There's a person in there!"

Mr. Evans chuckled, "I would hope so, how else would I get the news?"

"Shouldn't we—shouldn't we get him out of there?" James asked Lily.

"No," Lily shook her head, "no one's really inside there. There's a cable wire that runs from the outside to the TV screen and projects a picture that's being recorded somewhere else," she explained. James had no idea what she just send but was fascinated all the same by the television set.

"You'll hurt your eyes!" Lily pulled James back. His face was an inch from the TV screen. James blinked a few times to get the dancing spots out of his sight.

"I should bring Padfoot!" he exclaimed, "He'd love this!"

"Where is he?" Lily asked.

"At my place," he shrugged, and then his eyes opened wide, "He's at my place! What time is it?" he asked looking around for a clock.

"Almost noon," Mr. Evans said from the couch, "Why?"

James bolted out of the room yelling, "I've got to go!" Then bolted back in to tell Lily good bye and give her a kiss.

"Wait! Here, take this!" she handed him a small box wrapped in green and red paper, then hurriedly added, "Go to Honeydukes and tell him you bought sweets!"

Lily watched as James ran into the backyard and saw him spin and disappear on the spot with a faint 'pop!'.

"Oh, my, what was that about?" Lily's mother asked as Lily came back into the kitchen.

"Er… well… we're sort of keeping our relationship on the down low, if you know what I mean," Lily muttered.

"A secret affair! How romantic!" her mother sighed.

"So he's never seen a television set before?" her father chuckled still sitting on the couch, Lyra was pawing at his sock, trying to pull it off of his foot.


	33. The Second Engagement

Chapter 33 The Second Engagement 

The icy cold air tore through the grounds as the students lined up in carriages to make the trip from Hogsmede Station to Hogwarts. Lily, Frank and the Marauders were all sharing a carriage, each talking about what they did over the holiday. Sirius's hair, with a little help from a hair growing potion, was now back to its normal length.

Frank, Lily noticed, was harboring a huge smile on his face, and when asked what he was so happy about, he smiled even wider and shook his head proclaiming, "I'll tell you when we find Rini," and left it at that.

Catherine waited at the front doors with impatience. "Lily! Frank!" she cried throwing herself at the both of them, "I've missed you!"

"We missed you too, Rini," Frank patted her on the back, "but do you think we could go somewhere warmer for this reunion?"

Catherine pulled away, apologized, and they all headed for the Heads common room.

"So tell me everything!" she asked as they walked along the corridors.

"Frank has some big news, but he won't share it with us until we're all alone. It's highly classified information," Lily teased.

"Then it's a good thing we're here," Catherine gestured to the lion's portrait. They all climbed in and picked comfortable seats by the fire. "So go on Frank, what's the exciting news?"

Frank announced, "I'm engaged!"

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"That's—that's wonderful Frank!" Lily exclaimed, "When did this happen?"

Frank's smile grew even bigger, "Christmas Day. Actually it was a big surprise for me as well. We were just saying goodbye in the doorway and Alice asked, 'What would you say if I asked you to marry me?' and I stood there thinking, 'What _would_ I say?' Then before I knew it, I said, 'I love you.' Mum doesn't know about the engagement though."

Sirius smiled, "So Alice proposed to you?"

Frank nodded proudly.

"Damn!" Sirius ejaculated loudly, "You lucky—stinkin'—bastard!" He took his hand and shook it proudly.

"That means congratulations," Remus translated clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Frank, congratulations," James patted him on the back.

"Wow! First my sister, and now you! Everyone's getting hitched!" Lily hugged him.

"Alice Longbottom," Catherine mused, "has a nice ring to it."

"Mum won't be too happy that I'm still in school but it's Alice," he sighed, "If I can see myself spending the rest of my life with someone, it's _definitely_ with her."

"You didn't tell your _mother_?" Peter exclaimed a little louder than he meant to.

"Honestly Wormtail, just because you tell your mother everything that happens to you it doesn't mean that we all do," Sirius joked.

"Mum doesn't approve of Alice. She's so old fashioned, she doesn't think anyone's good enough for her little 'Frankie'." He said that last word perhaps more vehemently than he meant for it to sound. "We thought we might like to wait until after I graduated before we broke the news to her," Frank told them.

"I don't think that's a good idea Frank," Lily shook her head; "You know your mum's very well connected. She's going to find out sooner or later."

Frank's face hurt from smiling so much, "I know… that's why we're hoping she'll find out later rather than sooner. Besides, Alice doesn't even have a ring yet. But I found the perfect one yesterday in a muggle store," he smiled as he dug into his pocket. He pulled out a little velvet box, "Look at it."

Frank handed the ring to Catherine who opened it and gasped.

"It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed, holding it up to the light. There was a small blue sapphire with two little white pearls on either side. Lily pulled Rini's hand closer to her face so she could get a better look at it. "Beautiful," Lily breathed.

"It's so unique!" she told Frank.

"I know! Alice will love it!" Frank told Lily happily, "It matches her eyes."

Lily put the ring back in its box and handed it back to Frank, who placed it tenderly into his pocket.

Lyra walked around the room fighting with her shadow dancing on the wall.

"Oh! Who's this?" Catherine asked, only now noticing the little kitten.

"That's my new kitten, Lyra," Lily introduced her. "I got her over Christmas."

"She's adorable!" Catherine exclaimed, calling her over. "Who gave her to you?"

Lily looked up at James and smiled as she answered, "A secret admirer."

"Oh! Who d'you suppose it is!?" Catherine asked as Remus picked Lyra up and started playing with her.

Lily shrugged, "No idea."

"That's okay," Remus assured her, "He'll show himself sooner or later. Isn't that right? You cute little kitty!" Remus cooed, rubbing his nose against Lyra's.

Sirius shook his head, "It's a kitten, not a baby, Mooney." Sirius was more fond of dogs.

"Ahw… But it's a cute kitten, isn't it? Aren't you? Oh, yes you are!"

* * *

ha ha remus really likes lyra :D


	34. Owlery

Chapter 34 Owlery 

It was late and the Marauders were all sitting in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius and Remus were discussing the next full moon in hushed voices while Peter worked vigorously on his Charms essay. James was sitting on the floor by a small scale version of a Quidditch pitch, complete with flying players, a Quaffle, Bludgers, and a Snitch. He was trying out some new plays to see how well they would work.

"When did you get that?" Remus asked trying to change the subject. The idea of a full moon always made him feel a little depressed.

"Hum?" James didn't look up.

"When did you get that?" he repeated pointing to James's Quidditch set.

James looked up at Remus then back down to his small Quidditch pitch model. "It was a Christmas present," he casually responded, prodding the little figurine to make it zoom to the other side of the small pitch.

"Who gave it to you?" Sirius turned only now noticing the Quidditch model.

"Li—Rini! Hi!" James caught himself just in time. He almost mentioned that Lily had given him the present.

"Er… hello…?" Rini walked over to them. "New toy?" she nodded to James.

James laughed, "Yeah. Christmas present."

"Nice, nice," Catherine muttered, "Well, I was just heading for the bathrooms." She turned to leave; James was too busy playing with his Quidditch set to take notice of the strange look she gave Sirius.

Sirius squirmed in his chair for a minute and then abruptly announced, "You know, I think I'll go for a stroll," and left the common room without another word.

"What was that about?" Remus asked. James shrugged and turned back to Quidditch pitch.

"He's been acting like that since Christmas Break," James elaborated still focused on his Quidditch set. "Always keeps disappearing. He left for maybe, three days over break, he refused to tell anyone where he was going."

"Does anyone know where Lily is?" Peter whimpered, cutting Remus off.

Remus shook his head, "No, why?"

"I need help with my Charms essay," he complained.

"Shall we check the map?" Remus pulled out a spare bit of parchment from his robes, and tapped it with his wand muttering, "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good._" Instantly lines began to take root on the paper from where the tip of his wand touched. He looked at the parchment for a while before he muttered, "_Mischief managed_," and it wiped itself clean.

"She's in the owlery," Remus told Peter folding up the map and tucking it away inside his robes. Peter looked down at his essay with a glum expression.

"Here Wormtail, let me see it," Remus offered. Peter obligingly handed over his paper.

"Owlery?" James asked, standing up, "That reminds me, I have to go send a letter to mum and dad." He slowly and casually packed up his model Quidditch pitch. He brought it back up to the dormitory, and then set out for the owlery without any parchment or ink.

Lily was sitting on a stack of hay with a piece of parchment on her lap and a quill in her hand when James arrived. Owls were hooting and taking off into the night as they slowly woke, one by one. Lyra was sitting at her heels watching all of the owls take flight with her bright yellow eyes.

"You know, when you're in such deep pensive you look particularly stunning," James softly flirted as he leaned against the doorframe.

Lily looked up startled, "Hey there!" James gave her a small kiss and then sat down next to her.

"What're you writing?"

Lily looked back to her letter, "Just a little letter to dad. He wrote me a couple of days ago and I've finally gotten a chance to write back."

"Give him my regard," James said, Lily smiled and added in that he said hello. He sat there and watched Lily write for a little while, then helped her to call down an owl to carry the letter.

"Do you think we should tell everyone about us?" Lily thought aloud as she and James tied the letter to the owl's leg.

James was silent for a minute, "I dunno…" he sighed, "its strange not being able to tell Padfoot everything."

"Yeah, Rini too," Lily let the owl take off. "But I like the way things are going. It feels like something might jinx us if we tell anyone, doesn't it?"

James shrugged, and looked out the window, "Maybe we don't have to tell them yet. Maybe we can wait a little while longer."

"But is that a good idea?" she asked with her arms around him and her head on his chest.

"Who knows…?" James sighed, "Who knows…?" Lyra was mewing softly at their feet.

* * *


	35. Suprises

Chapter 35 Surprises 

"Do you have a three?" Lily asked James over her hand of cards. They were playing Go Fish in one of the empty Transfiguration classrooms.

"Go fish!" James yelled, and Lily pulled a card up from the pile on the floor.

"So, this bloke here, he's called, Jabba the Hut?" James showed Lily the back of the card, and she laughed.

"No, no! That's Chewbacka!"

"So then who's Jabba?" James cried.

"This one here," she searched in the pile for a sluggish looking creature.

"Oh…" he looked at the card back, "So then this," he held up another card, "is Hans Solo?"

Lily applauded him, "Correct!"

James looked happily at the card. Lily held up another one and went on to ask, "And who is this character?"

James smiled, "That's the super sexy Princess lady."

"I'll give you a kiss if you can tell me what her name is…" she waved the card.

"Le—Li—Lee—Lily!" he pointed his finger in the air.

Lily laughed, "Close enough," and leaned in to give him his prize when they heard footsteps and giggles approaching the door. Quickly James scooped up the deck of cards on the floor and rolled underneath the nearest desk just as the doorknob turned. He looked around the room and spotted that Lily had rolled underneath one of the other desks on the other side of the room. She put a finger to her lips to signal him to stay quiet, which was something he knew by instinct due to his years as a Marauder.

The door opened, and Lily heard a familiar girl's voice giggle, "My Mr. Black, you are impatient, aren't you?"

'Mr. Black'? James shifted under the desk to get a better look at the couple.

"I can't help it if you're so damn sexy," James saw Sirius kissing the neck of some girl whose back was facing him. She giggled and took off her shoes, then turned and walked into the middle of the room. James saw Lily's jaw drop from across the room. From under the desk he saw Lily mouth, '_Rini and Sirius!?_'

James put a finger to his lips to tell her to stay quiet as Sirius barked like a dog and chased Catherine around the room with his shirt opened out. Lily buried her head in her sleeve trying to block out the two of them fooling around. Sirius had finally managed to pin Catherine against the wall and was kissing her with such force that both Lily and James could not help but feel uncomfortable.

James took advantage of Sirius and Catherine's preoccupation and signaled for Lily to follow him out the door. As he crept along he heard a desk slide and without a second to spare dove back under the closest desk. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lily mouth, 'Sorry!'

"Did you hear something?" Catherine whispered, pushing Sirius away.

"No," Sirius hurriedly responded and continued showering her with kisses. That seemed to be a satisfactory answer for Catherine, because after that neither looked up again.

James, who was closest to the door, gently pushed it open and slipped through the tiniest crack. Nervously Lily followed, and when she reached the door she grabbed hold of James's hand and slipped through.

She breathed freely as James quietly pushed the door closed. "Rini and Sirius!" she gaped. "Since _when_!?"

James was laughing, "Looks like we're not the only one's keeping a secret."

"'Cha—No kidding," Lily half-laughed.

* * *

be honest, how many of you saw that coming??? LOL

yeah, the last chappy was just a filler... it was really nothing special... i just kinda liked the two of them contemplating on what would happen when everyone found out...

Rini had a real big crush on Remus, but she knew Remus would never been into relationships... and Sirius is just sooooooooo adorable, how could she resist??? lol


	36. Party Time!

Chapter 36 Party Time! 

Potions class was unusually awkward for Lily today because there were only three students present, herself, Nicolas Mulby from Ravenclaw, and Snape. James and Sirius were both missing from class today, and Lily had no clue why. That's why when James walked calmly into the classroom halfway through the period Lily couldn't help but look away from her potion.

"Ah, Mr. Potter!" Professor Slughorn praised, "What brings you to class so late?"

"Er… sorry Professor," James walked up to the desk, winking at Lily as he past her, "It's just that the Heads have some special, er, business that Professor Dumbledore wanted us to do. He said it was urgent."

"Urgent, eh?" Slughorn put his thumb and forefinger to his chin, "Well, if Dumbledore says so," he waved his hand impatiently. "Go on… you may leave Miss Evans."

Lily looked at James who smiled as she packed her bag. She copied down the homework on a slip of parchment and shoved it into her bag before following James out the door. Once the door was closed, he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her into the nearest broom closet.

"James, what's all this about?" she laughed.

James pulled her closer to him and kissed her. "I wanted to give you this," he held a small parcel in between them, "Happy Birthday!" Lily opened the box and her eyes grew wide. James smiled. "Like it?"

She held it up, "Like it? It's breathtaking!" Even though the only source of light in the broom closet came from James's wand, the necklace Lily held up seemed to sparkle with such intensity that Lily couldn't take her eyes off of it. The green and red garnet stones seemed to dance in the little light it was provided with.

"It's goblin made," James took it from her as she turned and lifted her hair up for him to put it on. "It belonged to my mum. Dad gave it to her when they were first going out," he clasped the chain and Lily turned around to model it for him her fingers barely brushing the jewels, "He said I should pass it onto you."

Lily's whole face shined with love, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"Ah…" James put his forehead to Lily's, "The real question is, what did I ever do to deserve you?"

"I supposed that's me outsmarted?" Lily leaned in.

"Yeah, yeah it is," James whispered with a smile on his face, as they kissed.

"So what are these Head duties we're supposed to be filling for Dumbledore?" Lily asked after they broke away.

James smiled, "Follow me," and pulled her out into the corridor and took off for the Heads common room.

"Can't we slow down a little?" Lily laughed as they ran for the common room. "What's the hurry?"

James spun her around and kissed her, then took off again exclaiming, "You'll see!"

They finally reached the portrait of the lion when James said the password, "Ink pellets," and pulled Lily through.

"Why is it so dark?" Lily questioned as she walked in.

"SURPRISE!" The lights flicked on and the room was filled instantly with the sounds of crackers going off and confetti flying in every direction.

Lily screamed and spun in circles on the spot until her wits returned to her. "Bloody hell, next time, just give me a heart attack please!" she laughed as Remus and Peter wheeled out a giant cake that had, written on it, 'Happy Birthday Lily!' with eighteen giant candles, as tall as Lily's forearm.

Lily laughed as everyone started singing 'Happy Birthday' to her, but when the time came for her to blow out the candles; she found it to be extremely difficult because they were so large. In the end, however, with a little help from everyone, all of the candles were blown out and everyone had been served a rather large piece of cake.

"Present time!" Sirius shouted, placing a badly wrapped parcel in front of Lily.

"Aw, Padfoot, you shouldn't have!" Lily smiled as she opened the present, then upon seeing its contents, she seriously reiterated her statement once more, "You _really _shouldn't have." She held up what she could only suppose was a lacy red brassiere.

Sirius smiled proudly hooking his arm around James's neck, "It's for both you and Prongs! For when you finally get together!" Everyone, including James shook their heads and laughed. Catherine picked up the bottom and flung it at Sirius's head.

Remus laughed as he picked up the garter which had fallen on the floor and chuckled as he handed it to James. "Sirius, you're one in a million," he joked, as Sirius tried to fit the bra on top of Lily's clothes. Lily was putting up a very strong defense.

James took the garter and stuck it over his head, wearing it around his neck like a chocker. "Whaddya think?" he asked.

"Super sexy," Lily laughed packing away the present. "Thank you Padfoot," Lily kissed him on the cheek.

"Me next!" Peter chimed handing her a small, rather squishy parcel. "I hope you like it!"

Lily opened it, Peter had given her a rather fluffy pair of socks, "Thanks Wormy," she smiled.

"They change every time you flip them inside out!" he told her shining with excitement, "Try it!"

Lily did so, and when she flipped them around, instead of the socks remaining pink and fluffy they turned purple with orange spots.

"They're wonderful," she gave Peter a hug and he flushed.

"It's not as intimate as Sirius's," Catherine smiled as she handed Lily her gift, "but it's still pretty wild."

Lily thought the worst, "It's not edible panties, because you all know I'm still single, right?" she laughed. Lily and James still never got around to breaking the news to everyone about their relationship. But seeing as how Catherine and Sirius were still sneaking around, they thought themselves in the clear.

Catherine laughed, "No, no… just open it!"

Lily did so, and was greeted by a sight of a small paper-backed book titled, _101 Ways to Have Fun with Life_. She opened it up to a random page and read aloud, "Number 37: Dance naked with the radio blasting your favorite tunes."

Sirius put his two cents in, nudging James, "I'd love to see that." Catherine shot him a look, and Sirius's smile vanished instantly.

"Thanks Rini," she laughed, "This is wonderful!"

Frank had two cone party hats on his head and a noise maker in his mouth. He blew into the noise maker which expanded and hit Lily in the face, then handed her his present. Lily laughed as she tore it open. Inside was a little bath set of perfumed soaps and lotions. "Aw, Frank, this is lovely," she hugged him.

She looked around the room, and then realized that someone still hadn't given her a present. "Remmy?" Lily cooed. Remus looked up from playing with Lyra, who had grown a lot in the short month that Lily had had her.

"Oh, is it my turn?" Remus smiled, he put Lyra down on the floor and handed Lily the smallest present yet, "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," Lily smiled and opened it, inside was a hand woven friendship bracelet with a sun and moon charm on it. "Oh, Remus, this is lovely!" she gave him a hug. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it. It was a pain to make, I kept knotting it all wrong at first, but I figured it out in the end," he laughed. Lily tied the bracelet around her wrist.

Everyone was standing up ready to let the party commence when Catherine shouted, "Wait! What about James, where's his present?"

Lily gave James a quick look as if to say, 'Think fast,' but James stood there smiling deviously.

"Why? Isn't it obvious, I _am_ her present!" James took a bow that had been sitting on one of the discarded wrapping papers and placed it on top of his messy hair.

"Classic Potter," Lily sighed. "Never gives up, does he?"

"Not a chance," James smiled throwing his arm around her.

"Party time!" Peter jumped up to turn up the radio.

"Aye—Aye—Aye—Aye! Arriba!" Sirius screeched jumping around the room lifting Peter into his arms.

"Want to do some of that naked dancing for us Lily?" Remus joked; Lyra was sitting on his head happily enjoying the view.

* * *

so ... i had meat pies today...

anyone who has read Titus Andronicus, by Shakespeare, would appreciate that comment...

and that's all i'll say on that comment.

good-day!

P.S. Garders go around the leg, not the neck of the girl wearing the underwear. James is just being silly.


	37. She Knows

Chapter 37 She Knows. 

"Happy Valentines Day Frank!" Catherine shouted obnoxiously at the breakfast table. Everyone near the trio groaned.

"Hi," Frank mumbled sleepily taking his seat next to Lily. "Why are you so happy? Usually you're very sullen on Valentine's Day?"

Catherine smiled, "Oh, no reason!" Lily noticed how she glanced down the table to where the Marauder's sat, her expression dreamy.

"Mails here," Lily told them taking a bite of her eggs. She didn't even look up to verify her statement; the owls were making such a racket.

A rather large owl landed in front of Frank. The owl looked as if it knew it was of importance. It held in it's beak a scarlet red envelope that was steaming around the edges. The letter was addressed to Frank.

Just as Frank was going to take the letter for the bird, his girlfriend, Alice Prewett, walked into the Great Hall, her brown hair and dark eyes worried and wild.

"Alice!?" Frank exclaimed in utter disbelief, "What—?"

"She knows!" Alice ran to him. Frank looked at the envelope in his hand and then back to Alice, putting two and two together.

Cursing, he fled the Great Hall so fast that he looked like a blur, Alice at his heels. Only seconds after he had passed through the doors did the floors shake with fury as Frank's mother's voice echoed through the castle. Lily tried not to listen, but Mrs. Longbottom's voice was so loud with fury that it was hard not to hear her.

Lily caught the phrases, "Engaged!? You are too young! You haven't even left school!" and "Were you ever planning on telling your own _mother_? I am coming down there first chance I get, and put some sense into you!"

"Bad day for Frank…" James sighed, standing up.

"You're telling me," Remus slung his bag over his shoulder.

"More like bad day for us, we have double potions today," Sirius whined as they left Peter to his breakfast. James gave one last fleeting look over his to where Lily sat a little ways away, and when he noticed that she caught his eye, he winked and left with the others. James smiled to himself as he thought of spending the whole evening with Lily, later that day.

"Frank!" Catherine shouted in suprise when she and Lily walked into the Head's common room after dinner that night. "What happened?" He was lying on the couch, slouched over, massaging his temples, completely exhausted.

Frank's hair was a mess and his face held an expression that neither of the girls had ever seen before on his face. It was a mixture of anger, frustration, fatigue, and happiness.

"My _mother_ happened," was all he could muster the strength to groan. "D'you know, she came to the school. I didn't think she actually would come to Hogwarts, but she did. She was raving. I was honestly surprised she wasn't foaming at the mouth. Alice was seriously frightened, and I've never seen her frightened before."

"Oh, no… Frank," Lily put her arm around his shoulder.

"If Dumbledore wasn't there, I think she just might have killed us all. She was absolutely off the wall about the engagement, saying things like, 'we're too young to know what we want still' and whatnot," he continued.

"I don't think she really would have minded the engagement if we had told her in the first place though," he sighed continuing on. "She kept asking why we didn't tell her in the first place. Then when Alice apologized for asking me first, she really lost it. She called her a 'temptress' and just a whole bunch of wicked names."

"Poor Alice," Catherine exclaimed, "Where is she now?"

"She went home," Frank sighed, "She was trying desperately to calm my mum down, to explain, but she wouldn't even hear her voice without becoming cross. Alice was hysterical by the end of it."

"So the engagement's off?" Lily gently asked.

Frank shook his head as a smiled erupted on his face, "No. Mum wanted it to end, but I refused, point blank. Even Alice was ready to call it off she was feeling so horrible, but I wouldn't hear it. I _couldn't_…" he shook his head. "It's so strange… Even though it was Alice who proposed to begin with, I just can't help but feel like its right. I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that's telling me it's her I want to see every single day for the rest of my life."

Catherine and Lily wrapped their arms around him. "It's going to be okay Frank," Catherine consoled. "She won't be able to stay angry forever."

"Yeah, your mother will come around," Lily tried, "It's not like she's going to disown you."

"I would not be surprised if she did," Frank muttered, his head in his hands. "I should have just told her from the start!" Frank groaned, "Then maybe it wouldn't have bitten me in the ass so hard."

"You can't change what you've done, so there's no point dwelling on it," said Catherine.

"Just give it some time, she'll cool down. Everything will be back to normal by the end of the school year," Lily squeezed is shoulder.

"I hope so," Frank sighed. Then he cracked a joke: "Well, at least neither of you are keeping secrets," he chuckled, then added, "Or at least from your crazy mothers anyway."

Lily and Catherine blushed and looked away from each other, but Frank didn't notice. He laid back father into the couch with his eyes closed and tried to bring his headache down to something that resembled the pounding of a jackhammer at least.

Lily couldn't slip away from Catherine and Frank that evening to be with James. But the night wasn't a complete waste. Lily had a lot of fun with her two best friends, eating junk food and laughing over the insane shadow puppet play that the three of them put on. James would just have to understand that Frank needed her to be there for him as a friend tonight; but she promised herself that she would make the night up to James another night.

* * *

Aww... Frank's mommy cares about Frank...that's so cute!!! 

anyway... this is why i like alice... because i guess she made Frank grow up and not need his mommy so much which made mrs. longbottom very sad... so that's why she's all 'civil'/polite, but still a little mean, to Alice in OotP.

Alice stole her little Frankie away... :'(


	38. Found Out

Chapter 38 Found Out 

March arrived and Lily was trying, and failing, to study in the library.

"Lily please," he whined, "Let's go do something else. The exams are ages away."

"They're only three months away!" Lily hissed, "That's definitely not 'ages'."

"Where are you going?" he asked her as she stood up. "Are we leaving?" he brightly bounced as he followed her down one of the long rows of bookshelves.

"I'm going to get a book," she answered, "You can leave."

James whined some more, "But I want to be with you…."

"Then will you stop whining?" she turned down one of the shaded isles with James on her heel. "You're like a child! Why don't you go find Sirius or Remus?" she reached on the tips of her toes for a very thick and old book.

James pulled it down for her, "Because they can reach books fine, and because I can't do this –" he kissed her "– with them."

"Yes, well, you can't do this –" she kissed him back "– while I study."

"You're no fun," he pouted, pulling her close.

"How about, if you leave me to study for just a few more hours, we'll do whatever you want to do next time we meet," she proposed.

James smiled, "Whatever?"

Lily chuckled, "You know what I mean."

"I'll have to think about it," he ruffled his hair.

"You know, the more you mess up your hair the more I want to kiss you," she sighed.

"Really, I thought it repulsed you?"

"I hated how much I loved it," she laughed with her arms around his neck. James ruffled his hair again, and Lily kissed him. James threw the book from his grip and deepened the kiss.

Remus was rummaging around in the boy's dormitory for the Marauder's map. He needed to talk to James and he couldn't find him anywhere.

"Where is it?" he muttered, shaking out one of his extra school robes. "A HA!" a blank piece of parchment slid out from it. "Now where's my wand?" he looked around the room, then remembered that he had it tucked in his back pocket.

He pulled it out and tapped the parchment muttering, "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_."Lines sprang across the parchment as Remus started flipping through it.

"There you are!" he tapped the map happily when he spotted James's dot, "What is he doing in the library? He's never there!" he looked a little more closely, and saw that he was not alone– "Lily?" his expression was quizzical, and then gasped, "No…!"

His jaw dropped so fast that he was surprised it didn't hit the floor, he was seeing things, he _had_ to be seeing things. "Sirius!" he shouted, flinging the door open and flying down the stairs, "Padfoot! Wormtail!"

"What is it Mooney?" Sirius jumped up to greet Remus, who, rather than saying hello and explaining his hysteria, shoved the map under his nose.

"Look!"

"At what?" Sirius took the map.

"The library," Remus pointed.

"Why would I care about the library?" Sirius wondered nonchalantly as he let his eyes skim the page. Remus waited with bated breath, and then finally Sirius saw it. His jaw dropped just as fast as Remus's had, and his eyes grew huge.

"NO!" he gasped, looking around.

"What?" Peter inquired, jumping up from his chair.

"Prongs and—" Sirius looked around.

"Yes!" Remus cut him off.

"What about Prongs?" Peter looked from one to other. "What's happened?"

"To the library!" Sirius shouted, and took off without explaining himself, the map leading the way in his outstretched fist. Remus followed.

"Are any of you going to bother telling me what's happened to Prongs!?" Peter shouted, annoyed, as he followed them out of the portrait hole and to the library.

"You'll see!" Sirius replied over his shoulder, smiling wide and proudly.

* * *

sorry it took so long to post.

i've been really really busy with so much stuff it's not even funny.

school is a bi---otch!

and that's all i have to say for now.

Hope you liked this chappy!!!


	39. Holding Hands

Chapter 39 Holding Hands 

Lily was giggling as she fixed her hair, James was picking up the book that he had cast aside in their moment of passion.

"Come on, someone's going to notice we're gone," Lily held his hand.

"Wait," he said.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"I just like this," James smiled.

"Like what?"

"This. Us. Holding hands. We never do this," he played with her fingers, trying to memorize their every contour.

"You're such the romantic, James Potter, who ever knew?" she sighed.

"I did," a voice besides James's answered. The two of them both turned to find Sirius and Remus wearing insanely huge grins on their faces, while Peter looked completely dumbfounded at the sight that greeted his eyes.

The couple looked down at their hands and quickly released their grips on the others hand.

"Uh… hey guys..." James ruffled his hair.

"Hey Prongs," Sirius looked smugger than smug with his arms crossed.

"Is there something you two want to tell us," Remus indulged.

"Tell you…?" James pondered these words, "I dunno… do you have anything you want to tell them Lily?"

Lily looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "No," she shook her head, "Not that I can think of anything worth mentioning."

"Maybe, something about the two of you…" Remus nudged James, "_getting together_."

James laughed nervously, "Ha… Ha… Lily, do you believe this, they think we're together or something."

"That's absurd," she waved her hand. "I was just getting a book from the top shelf," she turned to the book shelf.

"Yeah," James supported, "And I was helping her get it. That's all." Sirius and Remus weren't taking the bate; Peter simply stood there with the same thunderstruck expression on his face as when he first saw James and Lily together.

"And then I fell, and James caught me—"

"—with his lips?" Sirius smirked haughtily.

"I just came to study!" James argued.

"Is that what they're calling it now," Remus looked to Sirius who replied, "More like study the contours of a certain Head Girl."

Lily crossed her arms, "Okay, okay," Lily laughed throwing her hands above her head, "James and I are dating. Are you happy?"

Sirius picked James up and started dancing, singing "I knew it! I knew she couldn't keep away from you!"

"Of all the places I expected to be found out in, the library was the last one on the list," James laughed. "How did you know?"

"Next time you might want to make sure you take the map with you," Remus waved the parchment around.

"What map?" Lily asked looking to each of the four boys. No one answered her.

"Ah…" James moaned, "The one time I forget to take it!"

"What map?" she asked again, a little louder. Just as Remus went to explain the librarian came over looking harassed.

"What is all this noise!?" Mr. Bilblio asked as he rounded the corner. "This is a library, not a party house! If you can't be quiet, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"

"Sorry, Mr. Bilblio. We'll be quiet," Lily promised.

"I should hope so," he muttered as he turned to leave. "Any more mischief and I'll have you go straight to your head of house."

"Nope, our 'mischief's managed' for the day," Sirius smiled tapping the parchment behind his back with his wand. The librarian gave them one last scathing look before he turned on his heel and left.

"That was close," Lily sighed.

"Oh, please, that was nothing," Sirius loftily waved his hand around.

"Uh… Wormtail?" Remus poked him. Peter was standing there with his jaw open and a little bit of saliva dripping from his chin.

"Oi!" Sirius yelled at him, "Wormtail, you're drooling all over my foot!" Peter started with surprise at Sirius's yell, and looked around for the source of the disturbance.

"Oh, sorry," he said shyly.

Sirius shook his foot to try ridding his shoe of Peter's saliva. A little peeved, he muttered, "I think you guys have completely ruined his little virgin mind."

Peter blushed as James and Remus laughed.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Lily asked them. "You're the only ones who know now."

"Pfshhh… I'm telling the whole school!" Sirius exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

"You tell the school Padfoot, and I'll tell them about your nightly meetings with a certain Miss McFay of Gryffindor," James muttered into Sirius's ear so only he could hear.

Immediately his smiled vanished. "How d'you know about that?"

"I've got my ways," James replied happily. Sirius wasn't telling anyone.

"Frank and Rini don't know then?" Remus addressed Lily having no idea what Sirius and James were talking about.

She shook her head, "No." Then she added hastily when Remus gave her a reproaching look, "But I'll tell them…. Eventually…. I promise!"

"Okay… then… but on your head be it," Remus sighed.

* * *

Yay!!! i heart lupin!


	40. Confiscated

Chapter 40 Confiscated 

Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all walked back to the Gryffindor common room as James and Lily told them exactly how they had gotten together in the first place. Lily had decided to leave her and Snape's meeting out, and James wasn't too inclined to talk about Snape and Lily's kiss anyway.

"Well, I must say, I'm a little relieved," Remus smiled, "Didn't know where you kept going off to. For all we knew, you were off having your 'happy hour'."

James blushed, "Thanks Moony," while Lily giggled into her palm.

Once Lily's giggling subsided she was able to ask, "So before you spoke of a map."

"Ah…" Sirius grinned as he pulled a piece of blank parchment out of his robes. "You mean this," he handed it to her.

"This is blank," she pointed out dumbly.

Peter's face lit up with pride at his friend's accomplishments, "Not if you know the magic words."

"Erm… abra kadabra? Open Sesame?"

They all laughed at her. "You're thinking too much like a muggle," Sirius laughed.

"Think more like a Marauder," James helped.

"Er…" Lily stared at the parchment; "I need your help to break the rules?" she tried.

They laughed again.

"Okay, okay, give it here," James pulled out his wand and tapped the parchment saying clearly, '_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_.'

Lily gasped as lines spread across the parchment. "How? What? When? What is this?" She stared at it. She saw some third year students breaking into the kitchens.

She opened it up wider, "Is that—?"

"Yep," James said, "A couple of second year Hufflepuffs throwing dungbombs on the fourth floor."

"And," Sirius turned the map around, "If you look on the sixth floor, you'll find—"

"That's not us?" Lily asked as she looked at her dot standing with the four boys labeled, 'James Potter' 'Remus Lupin' 'Sirius Black' and 'Peter Pettigrew'.

"Yep!" Peter squeaked out.

"So it shows where everyone is on the Hogwarts grounds?"

"Yes, at all times. And even if they're disguised," Remus smirked. "Impressive, no?"

"Beyond impressed! How did you do this?"

James ruffled his hair while Sirius polished his nails on his robes. Peter was much too excited, bouncing on the balls of his feet, to answer, so Remus was the only one left to reply.

"Well, it was Padfoot and Prong's idea. We all realized that we only had two years left at Hogwarts and we had found out so many of its secrets that we felt all of our knowledge was going to waste."

"T'was such a pitiful thought, that we couldn't simply leave here without making sure that there was a record of our accomplishments," Sirius threw his arm around Lily.

"Yes," Remus continued, "So we created the Marauder's Map. It shows all of Hogwarts grounds at all times. It even shows the secret passages in and out of the school. See, if you look here," he pointed to the statue of the one eyed witch, "it brings you straight into Honeyduke's cellar.

"Is that a passage under the Whomping Willow?" she pointed to the grounds.

"Er…" James smiled awkwardly, "Yes. It leads to the Shrieking Shack."

"No way!" she exclaimed.

"But it's hard to get through," James added hastily, hoping that she would never feel compelled to try it.

"Pretty cool eh?" Peter bounced. "All thanks to Prongs and Padfoot here!" Remus nodded.

James noticed that Remus wasn't taking any credit for his work, and said "You're being too modest Moony," as he slung his arm around his shoulder. "Without you there would be no map."

Remus flushed, "I'm sure you would have figured out a way."

"Nah," James shook his head, "Without you there probably wouldn't be any Marauders."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, "And the map would have been open for anybody to use." He turned to Lily, "Moony was the one to come up with the secret password in the first place."

Remus smiled proudly. "We couldn't have just anyone using it. Might get in the hands of some Slytherin's."

"Exactly," James laughed.

"So then you can wipe it clean?" she asked. "Because before it was completely blank."

"Yep," Remus pulled out his wand and touched the tip to the map in her hands. "All you have to do is say '_mischief managed'_." Instantly the lines on the map began receding towards Remus's wand's tip.

"This is _amazing!_" Lily exclaimed. "I can't believe four sixteen year-olds did this!"

The Marauder's were all standing around her smiling proudly.

"What's going on here!?" Argus Filtch came running towards the students. "I'll have no more trouble today!"

Everyone turned to face him. His hair was a mess and his face was blotchy and red with frustration and fatigue. "What have you got there?" he pulled the piece of parchment away from Lily.

"It's just a piece of parchment!" she quickly lied. "I was just getting some from Proffessor Binns so that I could do my paper."

"No…" Filtch smirked deviously, examining the parchment. "No… I've seen you four with this many times, always laughing about something. No… this is not just a piece of parchment, it's something else."

The Marauder's looked to each other.

"Yes, because blank pieces of parchment are always something more than what they seem…" Sirius replied sarcastically.

"Are you giving me cheek Mr. Black?" Filtch asked.

"What if I am?" he smiled back.

"I want to know what this is _now_!" he waved the paper in their faces.

"It's a spare bit of parchment," Remus answered again. "We've told you. There's nothing special about it."

"Nothing special eh? Then what's this writing that's appearing on it?"

Peter let a small "Oh no!" pass through his lips, but thankfully Filtch did not hear, he was much to preoccupied with reading the insults that had sprang up on the page.

Filtch muttered as he read the words appearing on the page.

'_Messer Padfoot wonders if Filtch knows he had a giant boogie running down his left nostril?'_

_'Messer Prongs would like to inquire as to the whereabouts of his cat, Mrs. Norris. Hopefully Peeves is not tying her to the ceiling by her tail again, that would be most dreadful….'_

_'Messer Wormtail wishes that Filtch would go take a bath, his stench is positively putrid.'_

_'Messer Moony would like to take this moment to thank Mr. Filtch for the lovely detentions that he is about to give us and begs that they have nothing to do with going into the forest seeing as how they have a terrible fear of the dark and enclosed spaces.'_

They braced themselves, waiting for Filtch's expolsion. "_DETENTION_!" he roared, spitting spittle all over them. "ALL FIVE OF YOU!"

Lily's jaw dropped, she'd never been in detention before. "FORBIDDEN FOREST! SEVEN O'CLOCK! AND I'M TAKING THIS WITH ME!" he turned on his heel. Just as they five of them took a breath they heard Filtch scream for his cat, Mrs. Norris, and cursing Peeves, the school poltergeist.

"Well that was smooth," Sirius looked harshly over at Peter who looked away in shame. "Next time we know not to let Wormtail convince us to have the parchment insult anyone who tries to find out its secrets."

"Sorry," Peter muttered.

"It's okay," Remus patted him on the back. "It was funny, in a very threatening way."

"I have a _detention_," Lily said incredulously.

James consoled her, "They're not that bad. Really. And the forest is actually not that scary. Which, by the way, Moony, did you know he was going to make us go to the forest?"

Remus smiled, "Yep, that's why I suggested it in the first place."

"The – the forest?" Lily asked. "We're going into the _forbidden forest_!?"

"Scared?" Sirius nudged her.

"No!" Lily said defiantly.

"Lily, relax," Remus patted her shoulder. "We've been all over the forest. Nothing's going to happen to you with us there."

"Who said I was afraid in the first place?" she glared at him, her voice a little higher than normal.

"No one," Remus backed away.

"That's right," she said, "because I'm not," she started walking away.

"Where are you going?" James yelled after her.

"To find Rini and Frank," she turned the corner and disappeared.

"Oh dear…" Remus sighed.

"I feel terrible," James hung his head.

"It's fine mate," Sirius said, "She'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen in the forest."

* * *

school life is too stressful...

anywho... sorry it's taking longer to post, but being a senior is hard work...

don't grow up!

Lady Lupin


	41. Detention

Chapter 41 Detention 

The night sky was completely dark. The only light provided came from the stars as the Marauders and Lily made their way down to Hagrid's, the gamekeeper, house.

"Nice night, eh Moony?" James elbowed Remus who smiled doefully.

"Very nice," he replied lighting his wand. The fact that there was no moon out made Remus very pleased.

Lily wrapped her cloak tighter and hissed, "It's freezing! March isn't supposed to be _this _cold!"

James came over, "Aw… let me help you keep warm," and he wrapped his arms around her.

"You are so suave," Lily rolled her eyes, but welcomed the warmth his body provided.

"You two are nauseating," Sirius joked. James flashed a blinding smile at him.

"Hey Padfoot! You're out tonight!" Peter pointed up to the sky at the brightest star.

"Why yes," Sirius looked up to the dog star, then, unexpected began barking like a dog. He pranced around the grounds, scratching behind his ears and sniffing everyone.

"Woah! Down boy!" James yelled as Sirius sniffed heartily at James's buttock. Remus and Peter were leaning on each other they were laughing so hard, James, who felt violated by his best friend, settled on chuckling.

A door swung open and a flood of light and warmth reached their cold faces. "Oh, it's just Black," Hagrid looked around. "Yeh haven' seen Fang around have yeh?"

"Er… Frang?" Remus inquired.

"My new puppy," Hagrid peered behind some bushes.

"No…" Lily shook her head looking around. "What does he look like?"

"He's a boarhound," Hagrid answered, "Abou' this big—" he put his hands about a foot apart.

"Dark brown coat, cute little face, floppy ears, and extremely playful?" Sirius asked with Fang in his hands.

"Yeah," Hagrid confimed, not yet realizing that Sirius was cuddling his puppy. "How do yeh know? – Oh…"

The puppy Fang was wriggling around in Sirius's arms barking restlessly as it tried to break free from him. Sirius, however, was putting up a pretty good fight. "Very vivacious," Sirius handed the puppy over to Hagrid.

Hagrid gave a chuckle, "Yeah, I expec' he's a little lonely, or summat, 'cause he's only a pup and has no one ter play with."

"My dear Rubeus, I'm not named after the dog star for nothing you know!" Sirius laughed. "I'll play with him," Sirius tickled behind the puppy's ear and its little tongue lolled about happily.

"Well, it looks like he likes yeh," Hagrid laughed. "Okay then, you can come aroun' and play with Fang when yer free." He turned toward the house as the puppy gave a small yawn, "All righ' now, sleepy time for you. You wait out here, I'll be back in a mo'."

They all watched as Hagrid's shadow moved around in his house as he put Fang to sleep. Everything was quiet when Peter let out a terrified squeal and ran behind the nearest person to him, which was Lily.

"Peter!? What's happened?" Lily turned around to face him. Peter's face changed from fear to annoyance as he pointed over toward the spot where James and Sirius were standing; both laughing and wiping the tears from their eyes.

"You know, it's not that funny!" Peter said indignantly stepping out from behind Lily.

"I beg to differ," James wheezed.

"You – You—You jumped at least a meter into the air," Sirius laughed.

Remus smirked, "Even I thought you were about to wet yourself."

"Really, you're very nice to your friend," Lily defended Peter. "It's pitch black out here and you're trying to scare him witless!"

"Yeah!" Peter helped.

"Oh relax, we're only having a little fun," Sirius loftily waved his hand around.

"So fun is scaring your friends when they least expect it?" Lily's hands were on her hips.

James nodded, quiet seriously, "Yes."

Lily threw her hands up, "Boys! You can't live with them, you can't live without them!"  
"Amen," James smirked.

"All righ', all righ'! Come on now! We've got a long nigh' ahead," Hagrid quietly shut the door behind him cutting off the warmth and light.

"Mr. Ollivander is in need o' some wood fer wands, and he asked Dumbledore – Er – Professor Dumbledore for some o' Hogwarts trees. So we're gon' go in an' find some. Easy enough?" Hagrid explained.

"Er…" Peter raised his hand, then when he noticed James and Sirius were snickering at him, he quickly put it down. "How can we tell what trees are good for wands?"

"Bowtruckles!" Hagrid happily announced.

"Bow…?"

"—truckles," Lily cut across, "Just feed them some wood lice, or milk, and they'll come running out of the tree. They usually live in trees that have wood good for making wands."

"Very good," Hagrid was impressed, "If I could, I would give yeh some house points. Wood lice are righ' over here-" he pointed to the barrel near the fire in his front yard, "take a couple hand fulls."

Lily beamed as she filled her pockets with woodlice. She'd never talked to Hagrid before, but she was really starting to like him. "Righ', so I think we'd do more in an hour if we just split up. I'll go with…"

"Me!" Peter scurried over to Hagrid's side. Hagrid gave a small chuckle. "Righ' then, Sirius and Remus can go east, James and – "

"Lily," she gave him her name.

"James and Lily can go west. Peter and me'll go North."

Sirius put on a face of concern, "But what if we get lost?"

Hagrid huffed through his nose as he waved his hand, "You four, _get lost_? Please! I've seen all four of you go into the forest more time's than me life's worth!"

Sirius smiled bashfully, "Aw… Rubeus, you're too kind." Then Sirius turned to the right and headed down one of the trails with Remus right along side him.

"Come on Peter," Hagrid turned with his bow and arrow slung over his shoulder. He turned down the path leading to the left and was instantly consumed by darkness.

"Shall we?" James indicated to the woods. Lily gave a deep breath and walked into the woods.

* * *

eeeeeeey!!!

so ... yes... the next chapter is pretty intense...

but then again, so are your comments lol

you guys are so wonderful! i can't BELIEVE you like my story this much :D

really, it makes me glow on the inside.


	42. The Forbidden Forest

Chapter 42 The Forbidden Forest 

"This isn't so bad…" Lily looked around at the dark shadows that were being cast by the tree trunks. "James?" she couldn't see or hear him.

"James?" she tried again louder.

Panic was taking the best of her now, "James!"

"What?" hissed a shadow somewhere to her left.

"Where are you!?"

"To your left!"

"You're not on the trail!" she hissed. "You're going to get lost!"

"Pff… No I won't," his voice began moving away. "I know this forest like the back of my hand – OUCH!"

"Like the back of your hand…" she echoed his confident voice, rolling her eyes. "Yes… yes….That's why you ran into a tree."

"Not a tree, a bush," came a muffled grunt. There was the sound of ruffling leaves as he made to stand up, "and it had thorns."

"Come here," she stretched out her arms once she found his shadow. Gratefully, James hopped over to her, and she gently pulled out some of the thorns stuck in his arm.

"Better?" she asked, pulling out the last thorn tenderly.

"No," he pouted, "They still hurt! You never kissed my boo-boo."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she smiled. Lily pulled his arm up to her face level and kissed all of the small spots where his arms had been pricked. "Is that better?"

"No, you forgot one place," he pointed to his mouth.

"I don't know… it doesn't look hurt to me…" she sighed, inspecting his lips.

"It is!" James nodded. "Look, right here!" he pointed to his non-bruised or hurt in any way bottom lip.

"I don't know…?" she continued to tease. James pouted.

"Well, I suppose it won't hurt?" she leaned closer.

"No, I don't believe one would," he smiled victoriously.

When the kiss broke, Lily asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"Loads better," he smiled dreamily.

She took her hand in his. "Come on, we better keep walking."

They walked for a little while talking about whatever came up as they threw wood lice on every couple of trees to see if any bowtruckles lived there.

"Do you know the time?" she asked.

He looked down at his watch and replied, "Half past eleven, why?"

"Just curious," Lily shrugged, then she let out a scream. "What was that?"

"What?"

"Something warm and furry just touched my leg!" she jumped around completely freaking out.

"Padfoot! You know I hate when you do this!" James heard a distant yell and gave a small sigh of relief.

"No… the thing I felt was definitely _not_ Sirius!"

There was a ruffling in the bushes right next to Lily immediately pointed her wand at them. Just as she was about to curse the person who was trying to force their way through, they heard Remus's voice cry, "It's me! Moony!"

"Remus? What's going on?" Lily helped him through. "Where's Sirius?"

Remus untangled his leg from the bush and pointed over to James who was entertaining an extremely large and shaggy dog.

"What?" she gapped. "Sirius _isn't _a dog."

The dog barked and bounded over to her placing his paws on her arms. "Oh dear," the large dog licked her cheek, "he's very friendly. What's his name?"

James and Remus looked to each other, then at the same time answered, "Padfoot."

"Padfoot?" Lily smiled, looking at them incredulously, "but you call Sirius Pad-ARGH!" When she looked back expecting to see a dog in her arms, but in its stead there stood Sirius Black with his arm around Lily smiling pompously. She sharply hit him on his head and then asked what happened to the dog.

"He's right here," laughed Sirius.

"Are you telling me that you and this dog are one in the same?" Lily asked skeptically.

"Yep," Sirius smiled.

Lily looked to James and Remus for support, but they both simply stood there chuckling.

"The only way that that is possible is if you were an – "

"Anamagius?" Sirius grinned wider than ever.

"Yes, and you need Ministry supervision!"

"Ah… no you don't…" James spoke up.

"Ah… yes you do," she reiterated, "Things can go severely wrong, even you wouldn't be so stupid as to try it."

"Want to bet on that?" Sirius turned into a dog before her eyes. Her jaw dropped.

"No!"

Sirius, as a dog, gave a loud bark.

"No!" she looked to James. He shrugged and nodded.

"How?"

"We all figured out how to do it sixth year," he explained.

"You too?"

He turned into a stag. Lily let out a scream of surprise and awe. Once James turned back she was half laughing, "You're telling me that you were the stag by the lake that day?"

James nodded.

"How did you do this?" Lily's jaw dropped, "No, _when_ did you do this!?"

"Fifth year," James said. "Right before O.W.L.s."

"I can't believe you all!" she laughed looking from one to the other in disbelief. "Moony, you too?"

"No," he shook his head, "I can't. I'm a werewolf already, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," she sighed.

"But Peter can too," he added. She had to take a double look.

"Peter?"

"Well, we gave him a lot of help," James said. "He might have seriously hurt himself if we weren't there to run interference."

"So he turns into what?" Lily asked them.

Sirius answered, now that he had transformed back into a person, "A rat."

Something connected in Lily's mind. "Oh, I get it… _worm-tail_…" then she looked at James, "and you're _Prongs_ and Sirius… you're paws are huge! You're _Padfoot_!" She paused, "Well I expect you think yourselves real witty and sly for pulling this off, don't you?"

"Of course!" Sirius laughed.

"This is illegal!" she smiled in spite of herself, "You could go to Azkaban! What would even compel you to do this?"

Sirius gave Lily one name, "Moony!"

"Moo—_NO_!" Lily gasped. She turned to James. "You're not telling me that once a month you run around with a _werewolf?!_"

James smiled proudly. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!?" she shrieked. "You could be killed!"

"Moony wouldn't kill any of us," James defended. Lily gave him a skeptic look, and James hurriedly added, "Or, at least when we're all in our Anamagius forms."

"How do you know that!? You know Remus doesn't keep his own mind while in such a state!" she turned to Remus, "How could you let them do this!?"

"I tried talking them out of it," Remus answered, "but they wouldn't hear it."

"'They've all sacrificed so much for me because of what I am,'" Lily quoted Remus. "You meant this? They've broken the law for you!"

"Lily, stop it," James was suddenly standing taller than she had ever remembered. "We would have done this for Remus even if it meant death. We're there for him when no one else can be."

"But have you any idea the danger that you're in? Did you even think of the consequences?"

"Of course we did!" Sirius answered, "That's what made it so appealing. Help Moony and break the rules a little."

"Rules? Rules? These are _laws _that you're breaking!"

"Same-different really," Sirius shrugged.

Lily made to comment back, but James cut her off. "Look, there is no danger. Sirius and I are both big enough to control Remus in his state." He put his arm around her, "The danger is only part of the fun!"

"So it's fun when you put yourself in life-threatening situations? Is that right?" Lily asked coldly.

"Well, yes…" James answered.

"I don't believe you," a tear slid down her face, and her knees buckled. "And what about the people who actually care if you live or die?"

"Lily, I'm not dying!" James pulled her closer. "No one's going to die." He stroked her hair.

"Moony, are you okay?" Sirius looked over to Remus, who was looking paler than usual and staring at Lily. "Remus!"

"Yeah!" he quickly pulled out of his trance. Lily had voiced his exact concerns. He felt guiltier than ever about leading his friends into such danger.

"Come on Moony," Sirius started walking, "let's go find some wand wood."

"Yeah," he turned to leave, but Lily stopped him.

"Wait, Remus! I'm sorry!" she said quietly. "I didn't mean to say those things so harshly."

"It's okay," he said, but he didn't sound it at all.

"No it's not," she shook her head. "I'm really sorry Remus. I didn't mean to offend you."

Remus walked over calmly to where she sat crouched in James's arms and pulled her up on her feet. He brushed some dirt off of her shoulders and told her very calmly as he looked into her eyes, "It's all alright. I tried talking them out of it for three years straight. They wouldn't hear anything against it. Once those two make up their minds, there's no changing it."

Lily gave a little hiccup as she let out a small laugh, "And if it makes you feel any better, when they're there I have more control over myself. I can almost keep my mind the whole time."

Lily threw her arms around him and cried a little harder. When she regained herself enough she was able to sniffle out, "I'm so sorry Remus. I never once thought how hard the transformations must be on you."

He patted her head a little taken aback. "It's all right Lily, I've got better friends than even Chuck Norris could ask for."

Lily and Remus both cracked up.

"Who's Chuck Norris?" James and Sirius asked in unison.

"No one," they chocked out through their laughter.

* * *

E-Ghads!

i love MOONY!!!!

and chuck norris jokes lol

so this was a little more on the dramatic side... i like it better when it's funny...

so ... just a warning... maybe in about ... i d k ... 2 chapters alot of drama is going to ensue...

snape comes back, but no kissing this time!!!!

aw... i love my little emo virgin snape... :( please don't hate me...


	43. Happy Birthday Moony!

Chapter 43 Happy Birthday Moony! 

Lily walked through the common room with a cupcake in her hand. It was decorated with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Stuck into the cupcake was a single candle that was lit.

"Happy birthday Moony!" she held the cupcake out to Remus who was half-conscious on the couch, the Daily Prophet stretched out across his chest like a blanket.

He stirred looking around for the source of disturbance and when his tired eyes rested on the cupcake in Lily's hand he smiled and answered, "Thank you."

Lily took the seat across from him and held the cupcake out, "Go on, make a wish!"

Remus frowned, and blew the candle out. Lily took the extinguished candle from the cupcake and handed it to him with a friendly smile. Remus stared at the cupcake, sadly.

"What's the matter? You don't like pink frosting?" she frowned.

"No, I hate rainbow sprinkles," he joked. Lily gave a small chuckle.

"It was the only thing in the kitchens," she smiled, "I think one of the house elves had a baby girl."

"I didn't think they celebrate anything," Remus mused.

"Neither did I, but I think Dumbledore may have made them. He's a funny fellow isn't he?"

"Funny…? Mental…?" he mused under his breath, "or at least he must be to let me be here."

Lily pretended not to hear. "What did you wish for?"

"The same thing I wish for every year," he looked hopelessly at the cake.

"What's that?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

Remus looked around and when he was sure no one was around to hear, "That I was never bitten."

Lily moved around to put a consoling arm around him. "Come on! Cheer up! They may find a cure," but Remus hung his head hopelessly. "Well, I know of a little potion that may help you. It's really complicated but it can't be that hard to make."

"What potion?"

"It's new. It's called the Wolfsbane potion. If it's brewed right it will help you keep your mind during … well…" she looked around, "that time of the month."

Remus's tired face lit up with a smile. "Really?"

"Really," Lily smiled.

"That would be wonderful – magnificent – I could kiss you!" he cupped her head in his hands and kissed her on the forehead.

Lily laughed, "Better not let James catch you."

"Oh, right," he let go of her face, "Where did you hear about this?"

"Well, I've been feeling really guilty and ashamed of the way I acted last week in the forest. I just… I wanted to make things better. And I thought, well if James, Sirius, and Peter are all helping you, then I want to too. And this morning I was looking through the paper and saw the article that said this potioneer, Democlaes Belby, invented a potion that would help ease the dementia that can be associated with transformations."

"Can I have a look at that article?" he asked. He reached into her pocket and pulled out the small torn article that she had torn from the _Daily Prophet_ that morning. Lily expected to see his smile grow even bigger but as he read on his face dropped. "This look's extremely complicated Lily, are you sure you can make this?"

"Pfshhh… I'm not top in Potions for nothing you know," she smiled.

"Yes, but I don't even think Snape would be up for this either," he pointed out. Snape was just as good, if not better, in potions as Lily.

"That's because he's a silly boy and everyone knows girls are better potion brewers," she joked. She saw Remus was still frowning and added more seriously, "Look, I want to help. This is my contribution. I'm doing this because I care about you. I like to see you smile Remus."

Remus had lost his argument. "You and James are perfect for each other, you're both so stubborn," he took a bite out of his cupcake.

Lily smiled, "Thank you for that wonderful compliment," she laughed scooping some icing onto her finger.

Sirius and James had just walked in through the portrait hole with Peter tagging along right behind them.

"That little puppy has more energy in him than Padfoot has in his pinky," James laughed sitting down next to Lily.

"I'll second that," Sirius agreed, exhausted, as he fell facedown on the floor in front of him.

"Is that a cupcake?" Peter asked Remus.

Remus nodded and took another bite.

"AH!" James put his hands in his head, "I completely forgot! Happy Birthday Moony!"

A muffled 'Happy Birthday' came from Sirius who was comfortably lying on the floor face down by now. Peter started singing the Birthday song with a few tweaks.

_Happy Birthday to you_

_Happy birthday to you _

_You live in a zoo _

_With the hippogriffs and basilisks _

_And you smell like them too._

* * *

silly james... remembers when the full moon is but not when Moony's birthday comes around...

oooooo bad marauder... bad...

_tisk-tisk._


	44. Advice From Snape

Chapter 44 Advice From Snape 

Snape was bored. It was Defense Against the Dark Arts and they were having a practical lesson again.

"Come on," Professor Mage encouraged kindly, "Concentrate on summoning your wands without speaking. It's hard, but if you concentrate you can do it."

"Concentrate my – arse!" Lily muttered with frustration and then turned to Frank, "If I concentrate any harder I'm going to become prematurely grey."

Frank wasn't having any luck summoning his wand into his hand either, but unlike Lily he didn't complain. He breathed deeply, and concentrated hard on his wand lying on the desk before him.

It gave a wiggle.

"How did you do that?" Lily asked at once.

Frank smiled, "I concentrated."

"You know, you're a real smart ass," Lily teased him.

"I know."

Lily turned back to her wand and tried concentrating once again. This time, instead of merely sitting on her desk, the wand gave a small wiggle like Frank's had.

"Did you see that!?" she yelled excitedly to Frank. "I did something!"

"Very good, Miss Evans," Professor Mage came over, "Try it again."

Lily looked down at her wand and held her palm open, thinking the Summoning Charm over and over again in her head. Her wand lifted and then flew, not towards her open palm, but away. It flew straight across the room and hit Snape in the face. James and Sirius roared with laughter as a giant red welt appeared in the middle of Snape's forehead.

Lily winced out a small 'Sorry!' and ran over to retrieve her wand.

"Focus more on Summoning the wand, not Banishing it," the Professor suggested walking over to check up on Snape.

"I'm fine!" he insisted as Professor Mage made to pull his head closer and examine the red pustule that had formed. He pulled his head away from her hands and as he swung around he became overbalanced and toppled down on top of a stuck up Ravenclaw who yelled, "Ew!" and shoved him away. Snape heard James and Sirius laugh even louder, and was angered by it.

How he loathed James Potter and Sirius Black. He wanted to make them pay for all the years of torture. He wanted revenge. It wasn't fair that they should get all the glory for their arrogance and he none, even though he knew he was ten times wizards that they would ever amount to.

Something red flashed before his eyes. As he turned to look at it, he realized that the red was only Lily's hair. She had stooped down to pick up her wand which was lying at his feet. Quickly, he Summoned the want into his hand. It felt awkward in his hand, like it half-loved and half-hated his touch on its solid surface.

He had Summoned Lily's wand so fast that she had too look around for where her wand went too.

"Here," he held her wand out for her. She looked up, and her green eyes, large with surprise and wonder, met Snape's face. Slowly she stood up and took her wand from his hand.

"Thanks," she tried to regain herself, but she couldn't. It was more than just a little strange that Snape was holding her wand. She reached her hand out to take it, and Snape handed it over, making sure that their hands touched. He was very pleased to hear James and Sirius's laughter die.

He held her gaze for a second longer and then suggested, "Try imagining your wand floating through the air and into your palm."

Lily was completely caught unawares; he hadn't been this nice to her since fourth year. "Sorry?"

"Try picturing it in your mind. Focus on your wand floating through the air and into your palm, like this," he placed his wand on his desk and even though he was focusing, it was obvious that he was bored. The wand lifted into the air and then floated gently into his outstretched palm.

He cleared a small portion of his desk and said, "Here, you try."

Lily really didn't want to try summoning her wand at his desk, but he insisted.

"Well… er… um… okay…." She placed her wand tenderly onto his desk's surface, and closed her eyes trying to picture in her mind her wand floating gently and serenely into her palm.

"That's it…" Snape whispered into her ear, "Just focus. Let _it_ come to you."

Her fingers wrapped around something hard, and when she opened her eyes, her wand was in her hand. She was so happy that she finally accomplished the spell she let out a yell of triumph and hugged the nearest person to her, which to her dislike, and James's as well, happened to be Snape.

Over Lily's shoulder, Snape gave James a very threatening look. He saw as Sirius raised his wand ready to curse, but James held him back. Snape knew that if Sirius had shot a curse it would have hit Lily.

When she finally realized that she was hugging Snape she quickly released her grip from around his skinny body, muttered an apology, and blushed as she walked back over to her desk next to Frank without saying a word. She tried to catch James's eye on the journey back, but it wasn't any good. He refused to look at her.

The rest of the period was very awkward to sit through. Everyone was whispering behind their hands in wonderment at what they had all just witnessed.

Snape was standing by the bookshelf, packing up his bag when a loud rocking noise caught his attention. He looked up just in time to see the bookshelf fly down towards him. With loud thuds erupting around him as the books slid from the shelf and hit the floor, he quickly made to scurry out from underneath it, but wasn't fast enough. The bookshelf completely knocked him to the floor, and the whole class heard a muffled "Oof!" as Snape disappeared underneath the sea of shelves and books.

Professor Mage pulled out her wand and placed the bookshelf upright. Snape looked over through extremely red and swollen eyes (courtesy of a broken nose) and saw James throwing his wand pompously into the air and catching it on its decent back, smiling maliciously at him.

"Dear me," Professor Mage muttered, "I think you better go on up to the infirmary," she helped him up.

Snape glared at James as he collected his school books and slouched out of the classroom and down to the infirmary. Just as he walked through the door he felt something kick him really hard in the rear end and force him face-first out of the doorway.

When the bell rung Lily was more than relieved that she would be able to explain to James that she felt really proud of her accomplishment and she didn't even think about who she was hugging.

James was the first one to leave the classroom, and Lily had to run to catch up with him.

"James!" she called, "Wait!" He told Sirius to go on to lunch without him.

He stopped, sucking in a deep breath. "What?" he asked coldly when she finally caught up with him. She was a little taken aback by this frosty greeting.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, "I had no idea that was going to happen."

"What happened?" his eyes were cold and glaring, "Nothing happened." He turned to leave. Lily pulled him back.

"I didn't mean for it to happen! Please. He was just there and I was feeling so elated at finally being able to perform the spell. It was all bad timing," she pleaded.

"Bad timing," James thought on those words, "Just like last time? Maybe it was just bad timing on my part when I walked in on you _kissing_ him in the astronomy tower?"

Lily felt like a knife was being stabbed into her. "How could you say that? I told you, he means nothing to me!"

"That certainly didn't look like nothing," James replied.

"Well it was nothing!" she hissed.

James shook his head and walked away. Lily ran in front of him, "Where are you going?"

"Lunch," he tried to side step her, but she moved in front of him again.

"What do you want?" James asked.

"I want you to realize that I never have, and never will have, any romantic feelings for Severus Snape, ever!" Lily tried to make him believe.

"Fine then, I believe you," he didn't sound like he did at all. "Now can I please go eat." He moved her aside and walked into the Great Hall.

Lily was left standing in the doorway. Scowling and angry with James for his lack of belief in her, she turned around and walked straight back to the Head's Common Room; but not only was she upset with James, she was upset with herself. She knew how touchy James was about Snape and she still took Snape's advice anyway.

* * *

um... sorry... Snape's back... :)


	45. Arguments

Chapter 45 Arguments 

"James, talk to me," Lily begged him in the Head's Common Room. "Please. I can't stand this."

James hadn't spoken to Lily at all since lunch.

"About what?" his voice was cold and he refused to look at her.

"Anything," Lily pulled his head to face hers.

James wouldn't let his eyes meet hers. "Er… Dinner was nice tonight."

"That's not what I meant," Lily let go of his face.

"Well, what did you mean?" he was becoming annoyed.

"I don't want to fight," Lily got up from her desk and walked over to a chair by the fire.

"And I do?" he asked. "Look, you know how I feel about Snape. You _know_! He's a slimy, greasy haired, git, who is off to join Voldemort!"

"I know that!" she replied rather heatedly, "You don't need to tell me it twice, okay?"

"Then why did you kiss him?" James yelled.

"I didn't!" she yelled back in frustration. "He kissed me! I was pushing him away the whole time!"

"And after what I just saw today I'm going to believe that?" he laughed cynically.

"I didn't know who I was hugging!" this argument was going in circles. "I said it before, I was just really proud that I finally accomplished the spell."

"With the help of Snape," James added, almost spitting fire as he said the name.

Lily gave an exasperated sigh, "Yes, with the help of Snape."

"Why did you even take his advice in the first place!?" he tapped his foot on the floor.

"I don't know!" she cried. "I just did!"

"Bull-" he shook his head.

Lily thought for a moment, and decided that she owed it to James to tell him the truth. "Fine! I took his advice because for the first time in three years I felt like I had my best friend back, okay!" she crossed her arms and sat down on the chair.

"_Snivellus_ doesn't have friends!" James laughed.

"Yeah, and I wonder why that is?" Lily asked bitterly taking a seat and crossing her limbs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he put on the defensive.

"Nothing," she sang, "Nothing at all."

"Lily…"

"Well, I bet that if _you_ didn't pick on him half as much as you have, he would have some decent friends," she shrugged. James's jaw dropped in disbelief, she was _defending_ Snape.

"Are you blaming me for the way Snivellus turned out?"

"What if I am?" she dared.

"That's completely untrue!" James yelled almost knocking over one of the framed pictures on his desk.

"Is it really?" she questioned.

"Yes!" he was really upset with her now. "Why are you defending him anyway?" he glared.

"Because I think he's got some good in him somewhere." She was calm.

"Snape? Good?" James gave exhaled a breath that imitated a laugh. "Don't make me laugh!" he snickered.

"Look, I don't want to fight about Snape anymore," she told him flat out.

"Good, because neither do I," he picked up his books.

"Where are you going?" she asked her eyes following his retreating body.

"Nowhere," he grunted as he walked out of the portrait hole.

As his back disappeared through the hole in the wall and of sight Lily curled herself up into a ball on the chair by the fire and tried to keep the sadness from forming in her heart. James was really upset.

'And he has every right to be,' she thought to herself. 'I would be too…'

She hated herself for giving James a reason to doubt her love for him. She had no idea how to make this right.

She fought with the thoughts forming in her mind, but they overpowered her. She was losing James. Sitting, curled up by the fire, she started crying. Lyra (who had grown considerably larger since January) came over to her and tried licking the tears away while mewing softly.

"Woah! Prongs mate," said Sirius, "What's up?"

"Snape," he sat down between Remus and Sirius.

"You and Lily fight over Snape then?" Sirius asked. James nodded massaging his temples, his head was thrown back against the top of the couch.

"Why?" Remus looked to Sirius who took this as a signal for him to explain the events that took place earlier that day.

"He helped Lily with a spell today in D.A.D.A. and … well…" Sirius looked to James cautiously, "she hugged him."

"Why?"

"He helped her perform a spell."

Remus put his amazing powers of logic into action. "She was probably just feeling proud that she accomplished the spell."

"She said that," James sighed. "But you should have seen the look Snape gave me."

"So what?" Sirius said. "You think Lily's going to go after Snape when she's got you?"

James didn't want to admit it, but he did.

"She's not going after Snape, Prongs. She loves you," Remus gently tried to make clear.

James croaked, "She kissed Snape."

Everyone looked at him. His face was pale and his eyes were sad.

"She—" Sirius repeated, his voice was hoarse with incredulity.

"Kissed Snape," he confirmed.

"When?" Sirius yelled. He caught the attention of a group of fourth years who were sitting nearby and lowered his voice, "When?"

"December, the night we got together," his expression was blank.

"What!?" Sirius's jaw was dropped. "Why did you forgive her so fast!?"

"She said she loved me," he shook his head. "She said she loved me and that she would never, ever, love Snape. She said that he wasn't supposed to be there. And that the whole time she was fighting him."

"Blimey," Remus heaved a sigh.

"They're neighbors," James spoke the other thing that had been gnawing at his insides since he learned of it.

"Who?"

"Lily and Snape," he said weakly. "They live down the road from each other."

Sirius whistled. Remus wasn't sure what to think, so he tried reasoning. "What does it matter if they live near each other?"

"He's just there. Always there, looming over her like the giant, overgrown, bat that he is," James explained.

"So what if he's there? She loves you."

"Yeah well… she kissed him," James bitterly shot back.

"But it sounds like it was an accident," Remus pointed out.

"Well that hug today was certainly no accident," he couldn't believe Remus was siding with her.

"Are you sure you're not just looking for a reason to distrust her?"

Sirius and James's jaws dropped. "Why, the bloody hell, would he do that for, Moony?" Sirius gapped at him.

"Maybe he's feeling a little trapped down, or like things are going too good," Remus explained.

"Nonsense," Sirius shook his head. "James wouldn't do that to Lily."

James had enough of this conversation. "Well as much as I'd love to stay and continue this enticing chat about my relationship troubles, I think I'd better just go up to bed. 'Night."

He stood up and walked glumly over to the boy's dormitory. With every step he took he heard, "Snape—Lily—Snape—Lily," repeat over and over again as the stairs creaked beneath his feet.

He quietly pushed the door open and threw himself face down onto his four poster bed, relieved that Frank was sleeping soundly when he entered.

The only image playing in his mind was that of Lily's smile as she jumped into Snape's arms, which should have been his.

As he lay there he couldn't help but admit that for the first time in his life, James didn't hate Snape only because of his love for the Dark Arts but also because he felt threatened by him. Snape had a connection with Lily, and James detested it. He loathed it because he was insanely jealous of it.

* * *

so i was driving home from school today, when a stag decided to cross the road.

I flipped out!!! i was the only one in the car, but i got so excited i started yelling "_James!_" except it was more of a screetch rather than a yell...but w/e no one cares.

it was pretty _**FRICKIN' AWESOME**_!!!

so ... yeah, you must have been niave (spelt totally wrong!) to have thought James would not have felt at least a tid-bit jelous/angry/insecure about Snape and Lily being as close as they were at one point in time.

anyway... my point is... James needs to know that Lily likes him and is not going to run off with Snape otherwise he would never feel secure in his relationship with her.

this is so harliquen (spelled completely wrong again lol) romance. bleh.


	46. Picking on Severus

**This chapter, and all other following chapters have been editied and changed. **

**They're alot more mellow, but i like it this way. **

* * *

Chapter 46 Picking on Severus

The next day, in James's jealousy, Snape was abused worse than ever before. He was flown up in the air hanging upside down, fed a rather disgusting potion which made giant boils erupt all over his skin, and mocked everywhere he walked by shining suits of armor.

There was nothing he could do to stop the immature pranks directed at him, and after seven years of this treatment, he was used to it. James, very uncreative with his methods of displaying Snape's inferiority, had grown dull. Of course, Snape had to at least give James some credit, because whenever he struck, Lily was nowhere to be found.

Lily, James, Remus and Snape, all had Herbology together in the greenhouses outside. It was very uncomfortable and Lily was feeling particularly nervous of how James would react if Snape even gave one glance in their direction.

Thankfully they were repotting some of the more mature mandrakes, which meant that they had to wear earmuffs to drown out the deadly screams. This made the whole, double Herbology, lesson go faster than it had ever gone before.

When James, Remus, and Lily finished repotting one of the more stubborn mandrakes back into his own pot, they were finally allowed to clean up.

Remus was trying unrelentlessly to bring James and Lily into a conversation. Scrubbing vigorously at the undersides of his nails, he laughed, "Well, that wasn't so hard."

Neither answered, but they both new that what they had just done was ridiculously tough. All of the mandrakes, once repotted, tried jumping into the other's pot, and both Remus and James, because they were the strongest, had to hold the pot while Lily tied it down with the hormonal mandrake inside.

"Any weekend plans?" Remus offered up.

"Just studying," Lily responded, at least she was making the attempt.

"I've got to go down to my mum's this weekend. She's not feeling to well," he winked to James.

"Really Remus," Lily smiled. "You don't have to act like I don't know about your 'furry little problem'."

Remus smirked, "I forgot you know about that now." James frowned; Snape came up to the sink covered in a thick layer of dirt and sweat. He worked alone, like usual.

"Come on, Lily," James took her by the hand and led her away from the sink. Lily was completely taken aback by James's abrupt notice of her that she didn't even notice as he flicked his wand over his shoulder making the water coming out of the faucet Snape was working with squirt out and wet him in the crotch. Lily didn't even hear as Snape swore loudly. The only thing she was aware of was that the whole class was laughing as they walked out.

"What was that about?" Lily inquired, once the door had shut behind the three of them. Remus gave a shrug, and walked ahead of the quarreling couple.

James, upon realization that he was still holding Lily's hand, immediately let go. He jogged to catch up with Remus, and Lily saw as they engaged in conversation. She was a quite angry with James now.

He hadn't talked to her for the whole period until then, and all of a sudden decided he didn't want to talk anymore. She ran to catch up and stopped him in his tacks.

"What the hell is your problem!?" she cried, poking him in the chest. "You're acting like a child."

"A child?" James repeated, offended.

"You heard me," she growled.

"I am not acting like a child. Maybe you are?" he offered.

Lily was really annoyed. "Oh, so I'm the one giving you the silent treatment, I suppose?"

"Maybe you are," he tried to side step her, she wouldn't let him.

"Are you so insecure that you're not even going to at least give me a chance?"

Remus was standing a little off in the distance, trying to blend in with the scenery.

"Me, insecure?" James laughed, "That'll be a sight."

"Oh, that's right," Lily sighed, "I forgot, _James Potter_ has to always be the epitome of cool. My bad."

"Glad to see you've realized that," James nodded his head and walked away.

"I'm not done yet Potter!" Lily yelled. James stopped in his tracks; she hadn't called him Potter since the beginning of the year.

"What _Evans_?" James wheeled around. Lily being called by her surname completely took her back.

She glared. "If you think that after seven years of putting up with your crap, I can't see through all of your little disguises, you're wrong."

"Oh really, you think I'm putting on a disguise, do you?" he dared her.

"I know it."

"Well la-dee-da," James waved his hands in the air. "The brilliant Lily Evans can figure out that James Potter is upset about something. Takes a Head Girl to take that kind of notice."

"You're a real, spoilt, ass you know that?" she walked past him.

"If that's what the Head Girl claims I am, then I must be so," he smartly replied.

"Go to hell!" Lily yelled to him, walking towards the castle

"I'll see you there then!" James waved.

* * *

i'mmmmm... backkk... 

there's more story!!! i promise!!! and i'll probably go back to posting every day now that it's been revised.

okay... took longer than i expected, but this is the breakup stuff revised. i like this SO much more better than what i had before. it makes more sense, and it's less drawn out...

it's a little more badass too lol

there's a really shaggy big black dog that lives with one of the people in my neighborhood, it looks just like what i would imagine sirius


	47. Trust

Chapter 47 Trust 

Lily stomped her way into the Head's Common Room and huffily threw herself down onto the couch closest to the fire. Catherine was sitting on the floor doing her homework and Frank was lounging around lazily, playing with Lyra.

"What's up?" Frank asked, not even looking up at Lily.

"Potter," Lily grunted sinking lower into the chair.

Catherine gave a chuckle. "I thought things were going too well between you two."

"What about this time?" Frank wiggled the string in front of Lyra who pawed at it.

"Snape."

"Really?" Frank turned his attention to the conversation.

"… Stupid prat, thinks I like Snape," she fumed without thinking.

"Why would that matter?" Catherine smirked.

Lily quickly covered herself, "You know how he always picks on him. He's Head Boy!"

"Yes, some things never do change," Catherine sighed.

"But you mentioned something about _you _liking Snape," Frank pointed out.

"Well you know how he feels about me!" Lily snapped. "He's picking on Snape now because he thinks I'll date him."

"You should," Catherine chuckled, "It might be funny to see James flip his lid."

Lily ignored her statement. "He doesn't trust me anymore. That's all there is to it."

---------------

The Marauder's were taking their usual night time stroll to the kitchens in search for a late night snack.

"Peter," Sirius hissed, "_shut up!_"

"Sorry!" Peter squeaked, trying to replace the statue of armor that he had knocked over. The noise was enough to wake up the whole school.

"We'll be lucky if no one heard that," Sirius added insult to injury. He was always belittling Peter.

"I said sorry!" Peter shot back.

"Will 'Sorry' make the whole school go back to sleep?"

"No. But you two definitely will wake up the whole school if you don't stop bickering right now," Remus interjected while James kept a look out.

"Come on," he hissed, and they bolted for the kitchens.

"Prongs, wait!" Peter whispered right before he toppled into Sirius who smashed into Remus who, in turn, knocked over a suit of armor signaling the domino effect.

"What the _hell_!" James yelled. "You're supposed to be bloody Marauders!"  
"Tell that to Wormtail," Sirius accused, rubbing his head.

"It's not my fault!" Peter insisted, "Something tripped me!"

"Yeah, his own two feet," Sirius shot.

"No, this!" Peter held out a small piece of rope that had tied itself around his ankles.

"Where do you suppose this came from?" Remus held it up to his wand light.

James and Sirius took the offense, looking for the rope's origin. "Did you hear anyone summon this?" Remus inquired of Peter.

"_Reducto_!" Remus jumped out of the way just in time. A jet of red light flew at him from just beyond the corner. James and Sirius were the first to react.

"_Stupefy_!" but the red jets of light found no object to collide with. James and Sirius looked to each other.

"Why don't you come out and show yourself, coward!" James taunted.

"Maybe he knows he can't compete with this," Sirius gestured to his body.

An oily voice replied, as form stepped out of the shadows, "Don't be so full of yourself Black."

"Ah… Snevillus," he tapped his wand in his palm casually, "I should have known it would be you out tonight."

"Oh, is that so?" a thin smile presented itself on his pale, skeletal face.

"He's probably out looking for nice lady Vampire to consort with," Sirius smirked.

James grimaced. "Ew, Padfoot. I don't even want to think of something as gross as _him_ touching anything."

"Relax Prongs, like anything would come within ten feet of that badly smelling a creature."

"You mean the vampire, or Snape?" Peter innocently asked.

Sirius smirked, for once, at Peter's innocence, "I mean Snape."

"_Silenceo_!" Snape howled indignantly. He thought he smelled perfectly normal.

Sirius's voice became caught in his throat. He flicked his wand and a bucket of soapy water came gushing down on top of Snape's head. James burst out laughing with Peter; Remus gave a small chuckle torn between pity for Snape and the hilarity of the circumstances.

James, finally standing on his own two feet, wiped away the few tears that had developed and high-fived Sirius.

"This moment kind of makes me want a camera around," James laughed. Sirius nodded, still unable to speak due to Snape's Silencing Charm.

Snape's robes and hair were sopping wet. His robes clung to his thin and pallid figure as they dripped water. "_Bellumcollis_!" he roared. James was knocked off of his feet and soared through the air. He hit the wall with a sickening crash and slid all they way down to the floor, the backs of his pajama's tearing open. He was knocked unconscious, but only for a moment. When he woke up Sirius with the help of Remus, as Peter cheered them both on, were dueling Snape. Jets of every colored light imaginable were shooting between the three.

James had to at least give Snape credit for how remarkably well he was putting up a fight against two, soon to be three. James picked up his wand without hesitation and cast himself into the fight. It was three against one and still Snape was almost barely affected.

Then it happened. Three bangs sounded through the corridor, and Sirius, Remus, and James each fell over, barely able to breathe on their knees.

Snape was standing, victorious, before the three of them. His pale face was livid. Snape kicked James in the gut, he toppled over. Sirius made to fight back, but Snape tied him up with his wand.

"It isn't enough that you've got the whole school eating out of the palm of your hand, is it?" Snape's silky voice penetrated James's ears. "It isn't enough that you've made my last six years here a _living hell_?" he kicked James again in rage. "You almost killed me!"

"It wasn't like that!" James wheezed, he barely even heard his voice. "I saved you that night!"

"You set me up that night!" he raged.

"So you go looking for a fight?" Remus smartly asked. Snape glared at him.

"Shut up, _werewolf_," he sneered. Remus became silence at once. Peter was bopping in the background, uncertain for what to do. Sirius and James glared daggers at Snape for that comment; Remus was a person.

"I should have let you die," James said, deadly serious.

"But then this wonderful scene wouldn't be taking place if you did," Snape smirked.

"What do you want?" James snapped turning to face Snape as he pushed himself onto his feet.

Snape walked straight over to James and stood right in front of him. James was weak and in pain while Snape was untouched and had quite a bit of strength left in him. He stood tall above James.

"Leave me alone, or I swear I will reveal you all for what you are," Snape hissed into James's face.

"What are we?" James asked before he could stop himself.

"I know you're illegal animagi," James's heart stopped. "And I _will_ turn you over."

"You're messed up," James tried to call his bluff.

"Oh, am I?" Snape raised his wand to James's throat. "I dare you to try me," he whispered, deathly serious.

Snape backed away. "You think you're all so cool, the way you strut about the castle. At least I know how pathetic you all truly are. Especially,_ the_ James Potter."

James's chest heaved with anger. He didn't strut.

"But I must give you kudos for tricking Evans into thinking you're actually a decent person," Snape sneered, caressing his wand.

James flicked his wand, but Snape was at the ready. "Potter knows how to play dirty," Snape smirked as James dangled upside down. "Well so do I? The Conjunctivitis Curse, I ask you? Trying to blind me?"

Sirius ran at Snape from the behind and smashed him over the head with one of the brass candle holders he had torn off from the wall. James fell to the floor. Remus rushed to make sure that Snape hadn't been bludgeoned to death by Sirius, who was more than capable of murder when he was angry like this.

"Get off me, _Beast_!" Snape screamed pushing Remus away. Remus couldn't help but think, 'just for that, I should bite him'; but no matter how tempting that sounded, he would never have done that.

"You're a fool!" Snape cried in his anger. They had, once again, taken the better of him. "Why don't you ever just leave me alone! She loves you! You have _everything_ and still you're unhappy! You spoilt, selfish, worthless, imitation of a man!" His countenance was red with fury, jealously and spite, of which he had been holding in for seven years too long. "Just leave me alone!" and then he ran off into the darkness.

"What was that about?" Peter gapped.

Sirius, not even giving Snape's feelings an ounce of consideration, shrugged out an 'I dunno.' Then he realized that the candelabra was still in his hand and immediately discarded the evidence by throwing it, lazily, over his shoulder.

Remus understood Snape's being from the beginning. He knew what it felt like to be an outcast, and would therefore always feel some empathy towards him, but a friendship was completely out of the question, especially after this scene.

James, however, had been put in his place. Snape had helped him to realize what an ass he had been towards Lily, and he wanted desperately to make his behavior up to her.

* * *

e-gahds!!!! dumbledore's gay!!! that just makes me love him **even **more!

and yes, i have deleted all of the other chapters, and i'm adding in these newer ones because they make more sense. um... i'm sorry if you can't review them... i think that has something to do with my deleting the other chapters and then adding in these, so ... i'm sorry!!!

if you want to review, but can't, feel free to send me messages. i like hearing about how much you like/don't like my story.

there's plenty more,

Lupin Love


	48. Fuming

Chapter 48 Fuming

"Sit _still_ please, Mr. Black," Madam Bonaë asked kindly of Sirius as she began applying a nasty orange cream to the back of his head.

Sirius took a sharp inward breath as a sizzling pain shot through his head when she dabbed on the ointment. "Does it have to sting so much?" he whined through watery eyes.

"No," Madam Bonaë shook her head, "it doesn't. That must be really horribly infected," she brought over a basin of water.

"Infected with grease and slime," Sirius muttered, only James and Remus heard him though. Both gave him an encouraging smile from their beds.

James had a bandage tightly wrapped around his head and was sharing a piece of chocolate with Remus who looked positively jubilant.

"Don't know what you're so happy about Mooney?" Sirius scowled through watery eyes once the nurse had left.

Remus laughed, "It's all of this chocolate I'm eating. Really brightens up everything."

The door opened, very quietly, and Peter slipped in.

"Wormtail!" James smiled throwing his arms out, "how nice of you to join us!"

"Where did you go?" Remus pondered.

"I brought you a visitor," Peter smiled happily, and then opened the door a little bit more to invite three other people into the room.

Frank, Catherine and Lily, all walked in.

"You guys are unbelievable," Frank laughed, stepping over by Sirius.

"What can we say," Sirius chuckled, "when Hunger strikes, we answer."

Catherine gave him a small kiss, relieved that he was okay. "Peter told us what happened. I'm just so glad you're safe," she whispered.

"Since when!?" Peter's jaw dropped at the sight of Sirius and Catherine embracing.

"Since forever!" Remus laughed. "Those two are so obvious it's a wonder that no one knows their dating."

Catherine and Sirius laughed.

But during Catherine's and Sirius's moment, Lily and James were both apologizing profusely to each other.

"No, Lily," James started, "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

"Yes well, I gave you reason to distrust me," she hugged him close. "I can't believe Snape did this to you," she whispered.

James pulled her away, "Really?"

Lily thought for a moment, a frown forming on her lips before she answered, "No, I could see him doing this. But unprovoked?"

James shrugged. "I've been suspended from my Head Boy duties for two weeks. Other than that, there's really no punishment."

"But you didn't start the fight!" Lily replied indignantly.

"But I fought anyway…" he sighed, throwing up and piece of chocolate and catching it in his mouth.

"And what trouble is Snape in?" she asked.

"He's got detentions every day until the end of the year," James speculated, "or at least, that's as much as I've been told."

"I have to say, I'm very surprised you're not getting ready for revenge," she played with a lock of his hair.

"Can I tell you a secret?" James leaned in close, Lily nodded, "I'm surprised too."

She laughed. "So you were all just going down to the kitchens to get food?"

"Yep," James ate some chocolate.

"And he just attacked?"

"Correct."

"Did he threaten you?" Lily's question caught James off guard.

"He said he knows we're illegal anamagi," James answered. Then hurriedly responded, "but he doesn't know, of course. I called him on his bluff."

"That's not funny!" Lily's shocked face reproached. "If he knows—"

"_If_ he knows," James reiterated, "He doesn't know."

"But—"

James decided to change the subject. "He said I was a poor excuse for a man… no… what was it? I think, 'a spoilt, selfish, worthless, imitation of a man', and then took off."

Lily's jaw dropped. "_He_ attacked _you_!" she yelled, jumping up. "If anyone's a sorry imitation of a man, it's him for picking a fight with you in the first place!" she stormed out of the infirmary.

"Where do you suppose she's going?" Sirius asked James from across the room.

Catherine pursed her lips together as she snapped her fingers three times, in a zig-zag fashion, across the air. "No one messes with Lily's man," Catherine announced. Then she broke down giggling at her silliness.

-------------

Lily stormed through the Great Hall, straight to the Slytherin table. Everyone was surprised that her nostrils weren't steaming.

She stood directly behind Snape, who gave a chuckle at one of the other's jokes, before he realized that everyone was staring, just over his shoulder, at Lily.

"Lily!" Snape smiled, but then realized this was not going to be a pleasant encounter.

"What the bloody hell Snape!" she burst out. "You don't go attacking people for being out of bed out of hours!"

Snape's mouth worked in an attempt to defend, but no words came out.

"Just because they made a fool out of you, it doesn't mean you can simply whip out your wand and start fighting!"

Snape said nothing. She jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

"If you _ever_ pull something like that again, I will personally see to it that your wand gets shoved so far up your sorry ass that you won't even be able to walk properly!" and left without giving Snape even a second to realize what had just happened.

* * *

yeah, that's it for part two. there's a part three, which i will soon post.

... i tried to put Snape in his place at the end of this, but i don't think i did a really good job of that.

it's a lot more mellower than before, but i like it this way better. it's more realistic.

anywho... is it the birch tree or the beech tree that the Marauder's always hang out by?

i'm pretty sure it's beech... right?


	49. Until Another Day

Part III The Third Engagement

Chapter 49 Until Another Day

Catherine was crying as Sirius held her close, he was almost as pale as Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor Tower's Ghost.

"Aw… come on Rini, this isn't the end of the world…" he tried to convince her, even though he didn't believe what he was saying either. "Hogwarts isn't everything…" but his heart dropped as those last words escaped his lips.

"Yes," she sniffled. "Yes it is…."

"I can't believe this is it," Frank sighed looking around the Gryffindor Common Room. "Our last day at Hogwarts. Where did all of the time go?"

Lily was just as pale as Sirius was. "I can't believe this. It feels like yesterday when I first walked through those doors."

James snaked his arm around her waist, and rested his head on her shoulder, while a small frown played upon his lips. "We're all grown up now."

"Sucks doesn't it?" Remus chuckled.

"Yes," Catherine hiccupped through her tears.

"How _scary_ is this?" Peter whispered, carrying down his bag from their dormitory room for the last time. No one answered, but each of them looked abandoned.

"Come on," Remus picked up his bag. "We should get going."

"Yeah," Frank followed his example.

"I guess all good things must come to an end," Catherine said in an attempt to pull herself together. Her face was red and blotchy. Without saying a word, Lily walked over to where Catherine stood with Sirius's arms around her, and pulled her into a great big hug. Both girls started to silently cry as they held each other.

Lily pulled away from the hug and gave Catherine a very watery smile. She returned the smile, and together, they silently picked up their bags at the base of their feet, walked towards where Remus and Frank stood with Peter at the portrait hole for one last sweeping look of Gryffindor tower.

"No words can express how shitty this is," Sirius looked to James. They alone were left standing in the middle of the Common Room.

"'Tis a most heartbreaking moment," James murmured to Sirius who gave a small smile. James walked straight over to the window and stared out towards the lake. Its contents were the only thing unknown to him and the rest of the Marauder's.

"What's up Prongs?" Sirius walked over to the window.

James looked up and saw, reflected on the glasses windowpanes, everyone standing by the portrait hole. Remus and Frank in the middle with their bags slung over their shoulders. One off to be married, the other facing a dismal, and prejudice filled, future. Lily and Catherine standing right beside each other, trying to engrave into their minds every aspect of Gryffindor Tower that they could. Then there was Peter. Small and watery eyed like he always was. He never changed; at least James could count on that one detail remaining the same.

He felt pressure on his shoulder, and saw through the glass, Sirius's hand resting on it. Sirius would never change either. They would always be the best of friends and nothing could stop that. Not even death.

Then, he saw it. The beech tree that the Marauder's had spent so many afternoon's beside. That tree that would stand tall for so many generations to come, and suddenly he knew what had to be done.

Without even looking at any of the others James exclaimed "Follow me!" and ran out of the Common Room. Everyone looked to each other completely at a loss for what had just happened.

--------------

"Prongs!" Remus shouted as the whole gang followed James through the castle and across the grounds. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" he shouted excitedly as he gained even more momentum.

"The lake?" Sirius panted, when they finally stopped. "What is so special about the lake?"

James gave a chuckle, "No. Not the lake. The tree," James rested his hand on the Beech Tree's trunk tenderly.

"And…" Sirius prompted James to elaborate on his idea.

"How many times have we hung out by this tree?" James smiled.

"A fair few," Peter responded, but Sirius and Remus were the only ones who knew where James was going with this.

The Beech Tree wasn't simply another tree by which they, or any other student, could lounge around by. This tree was particularly special to the Marauders, because it was beneath this tree that they met for the first time, during the first full moon in September of their fifth year, as a rat, dog, stag, and wolf.

Sirius whipped out a knife from nowhere and began hacking at the tree.

"Padfoot!" Remus yelled, "What in hell's name are you doing?!"

"This," he chopped at the thick trunk of the tree a few more times and then stood back to show everyone his initials, carved deeply into it.

Without even asking, James took the knife from Sirius and carved his own initials into the tree's bark, just as deep as Sirius had.

"Are you all mental?" Catherine laughed as Remus took the knife from James.

"Must be if we spend so much time with you," Sirius joked.

"Oh, ha ha, I suppose you think you're funny, don't you," Catherine smiled as he slung his arm around her shoulder.

"I don't think it, darling, I know it," he flashed her a smile.

"Real smooth," Remus smirked. "Here Wormtail. Your turn." Remus held the knife out to Peter, who hesitated before taking it.

"Go on, you're a Marauder too you know," Remus gave him a friendly smile. Peter took the knife from him with a small smile and cut away, in a more delicate fashion than the other boys did.

"So, we're all done," Lily looked at the four boys.

"Wait!" James cried, taking the knife from Peter. "Aren't you going to leave your mark at Hogwarts?"

Lily shook her head, "Oh, no. That's quite alright. I don't even know where I _would_ leave my mark here anyway," she smiled.

James handed her the knife and pointed to the blank space right in between his initials and Sirius's. "Right here."

"Oh, no. I couldn't. Really," she handed him back the knife. "This tree isn't nearly as special to me as it is to you."

"So you don't remember all of those fights we've had by this tree?" James's eyes smiled. "All of those times you put my big head in its proper place."

"Well…"

"We met for our first date, right here!" he laughed jumping over to the spot where Lily had first met James as a stag. He walked back over to her and placed the knife in her hands. "This tree means just as much to you as it does to me. Go on," he guided her hands as they began engraving L.E. into the trunk.

"Come on Frank!" Catherine tugged on his robe's sleeve.

"I don't think so," Frank laughed. "Do you remember the first time I met this tree?"

Lily started laughing so hard, she was tearing. "Didn't you get stuck up there first year? It wasn't until sundown when Rini finally got you down." Lily handed over the knife to Catherine who immediately placed her initials above Sirius's.

"Precisely my point," Frank laughed.

"Go on Frank!" James patted him on the shoulder. "You should go up to the highest branch and claim it as your own."

Frank gave a small laugh as Catherine handed over the knife to him. "Go on Frank, show him who's boss."

He walked over to the tree laughing harder than before. "Sorry Mr. Tree, but you heard the lady."

When Frank finished embossing into the bark his initials he handed Sirius back his knife, who stuck it down the side of his boot, and they all stood looking at their seven initials carved around the base of the tree's trunk, the low lying branches keeping most of the etchings hidden from first view.

"This is it, then," Catherine sighed. "Good-bye."

"It's never 'Good-bye' Miss McFay," a soft voice spoke. All seven of the former students turned to look as the Headmaster of Hogwarts made his way towards them. His tall limbs were cloaked in forest green robes and his hair was as white as snow.

"Albus!" Sirius cried, opening his arms to embrace his former headmaster. Dumbledore gave a great chuckle, but accepted the warm welcome all the same.

"I expect great things from all of you," Dumbledore beamed at them, his bright blue eyes twinkling beneath his half-moon spectacles. "Especially you two," he added off hand to James and Sirius who both stood up straight as a board and saluted him.

"You can count on us, Sir," they replied in unison.

"Wonderful," Dumbledore smiled. "You're going to have to keep him in check, Lily," he joked.

"You know it!" Lily exclaimed happily as she slipped her hand into James's.

"Mr. Longbottom, have you set a date for when there will finally be a Mrs. Longbottom?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Er… we were thinking more along the lines of having a summer wedding, but not this summer – there's just too much to plan still. We might have it the summer after this," he explained.

"I always love to hear of weddings," Dumbledore wiped a non-existent tear from his face. "They always remind me of all the good that's left in this world still."

Here Dumbledore paused for dramatic effect. "I have watched you grow for seven years, and you are all beautiful, amazing, adults. I could never have asked for better students. And for now, it is 'Until another day', for there never, truly, is a 'Good-bye'."

"Until another day," the seven adults smiled sadly, looking up at Hogwarts Castle.

Until another day.

-------------

They were boarding the Hogwarts Express for the last time ever. As James was helping Lily move her trunk onto the train Snape walked past. He learned to accept that Lily and him would never happen; he knew that any chance of being with her had long since passed but the truth of that statement made his heart hurt.

He forced himself to refrain from looking at her. Even James left him alone, though he couldn't help but become defensive once he noticed that Snape was nearby, and moved closer to Lily.

Snape rolled his eyes and walked into the next empty compartment to lament over his hopeless heart's wishes. It was all over for him.

* * *

sorry it took so long. I actually forgot lol. 

it's been crazy.

there's a few more chapters left and this is all done. :)

hope you liked the beginning of Part Three:)


	50. The Third Engagement

Chapter 50 The Third Engagement 

It was hard to believe that a year ago today Lily had left Hogwarts. She was studying hard to become a Healer. Living in central London was okay, at least she lived close to Sirius. Catherine, however had moved to the States with her father. She wasn't too thrilled, and neither was Lily, about this arrangement, but in the end, they decided the two of them could apparate and mail each other.

Frank and Alice had gotten married and were currently living with Frank's mother, at least until they could afford a place for the two of them. Poor Remus, Lily thought of him with a twinge of sadness, she never was sure about what was happening with him; and as far as she knew he was still living with his parents unable to find a proper or stable job. Peter on the other hand was still living at home with his mother. Lily was sure of this at the very least.

Lily heard knuckles rap on the door. Instantly a smile sprang on her face when she realized who that knock belonged to.

"Hey there," she opened the door. James was standing there dressed up in his muggle best (a button up shirt, buttoned wrongly, and workout pants). He handed her a small bouquet of flowers as they kissed hello.

Lily closed the door as he walked in. Her apartment was small and crammed, but it was enough for her to live in.

"One day I'm going to have to teach you how to dress like a real muggle," she chuckled, putting the flowers into water.

"I am!" James defended, sitting himself down at the kitchen table. "I see muggle men wearing these all the time!"

Lily rolled her eyes and poured him a glass of coffee, "Yes, but do they wear them_together_?"

"Well…"

"Exactly," Lily laughed sipping her coffee. "Wear jeans next time, that's all I'm saying."

"But I got Padfoot a matching pair," he frowned.

"I'm not saying you can't wear them," she smiled.

James instantly became happy to hear that bit of news, "So how have you been?"

"Good. Busy," she sighed.

"Me too," James took a sip of his coffee. "It's been hell down in Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We caught this bloke selling this really horrible potion that's supposed to turn you into this sex god, except all it does is turn you green and give you welts all over… well… somewhere you don't normally look."

"How did you catch him," Lily inquired.

"Well, I caught him," James was becoming haughty again.

"Really?" she raised both eyebrows.

"Yep," he nodded.

"How did you do that?" she smiled.

"Well… I …"

"Yes…?"

"Well, I … accidentally… bought some of it, and … well… I'm better now, so no worries," he smiled as Lily lost control of herself. She was laughing so hard she thought her gut was going to bust.

"Oh, James…" she wheezed when she finished laughing, "I'm so—so – sorry!" she broke down again.

"You're unbelievable," he joked. "You know, because of this we may never be able to have children."

"That's okay, who said I wanted?"

James frowned, "You don't want?"

"Well…" Lily thought a little more seriously, "I do, but not now. It's still too soon."

"Yes," he agreed. "Definitely too soon."

"So…. How's the Order doing?"

James's demeanor became solemn. "It's hard to say. Everyone keeps disappearing now. No one knows what Voldemort's next moves are."

"Hm…" Lily sighed. "Yes. That does promote a problem. Is there anything we can do?"

"Other than join, I don't see what," James responded. "We're just going to have to be ready at a moments notice."

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed. "I hate that we can't do anything," she looked out the window. "It's all feels like death is inevitable."

"Death _is_ inevitable, but Voldemort… he's immortality…" James corrected.

"Such deep words of wisdom coming from Mr. Potter," Lily sighed dreamily for satirical purposes.

"You know it," James smiled lifting his mug to her. Lyra jumped up onto his lap. "Well look who's decided to come out of hiding," he stoked the cat.

"What time is your mother coming home tonight," Lily asked.

"Late," he replied, "she's gone to a witch's convention in Bristol."

"Oh yeah," Lily remembered, "she invited me to go, but I had class."

They continued on talking for hours more. Lily even turned on the television which was always amusing because James never had a television set to watch when he went home. James was still living with his parents, but that still didn't stop him from living his wild night life with Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

Around eleven that night James left Lily's apartment to go find Sirius. Though before he left he told her that he had made reservations for next Friday at_Le Sebastian_; "So dress nicely," he finished his sentence with.

Lily raised her eyebrows. James immediately corrected himself, "I mean, not that you don't always looked beautiful in every way humanly possible."

Lily smiled. "Go on, get out of here. I know what you mean."

James smiled. "I'm so lucky to have found you." And with that he gave her a kiss and left to find Sirius.

-------------

Sirius's apartment was very messy and cramped, much like Lily's, but even more so because there were already three boys there when James entered.

"We should really find a roomier meeting place Padfoot," Remus stood up so that James could maneuver across the room.

"I'm not swimming in money anymore you know," Sirius scowled.

"Still, I'm not even working and I could afford better," Remus chuckled.

"I like enclosed spaces," Sirius defended.

"You like living in a coffin?" Remus smirked.

"Okay, okay!" James tried breaking up the fight by changing the conversation topic. "Moony, don't pick on Padfoot." Sirius stuck his tongue out a Remus, who smiled back sadistically.

"Padfoot," James continued, "Don't get offended because Moony likes to tell the truth." Sirius rolled his tongue back into his mouth, and now it was Remus's turn to taunt.

"And both of you, grow up," James laughed.

"What's the big news Prongs?" Peter jumped over the large pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room. James's face lit into a smile.

"Prongsy's blushing…" Sirius cooed. "This must be good news."

"Well…" he really had no idea how to say it. "I … I thought I might…_propose_… to Lily."

Remus had taken a rather large sip of tea right before James made his tender statement, and when the word 'propose' passed through James's lips he spit out his beverage all over the three other Marauders.

Sirius and Peter looked incredulously at James while Remus was chocking on his own drink. James reached over and patted Remus on the back.

"When?" Remus gapped when he finally regained his breath.

"When did I decided to do this, or when am I going to?" he asked.

"Both," Peter answered.

"Oh. Well… I guess… last week, we went out and spent the whole night just staring up at the stars, and I couldn't help but think how small we are and how the time's past since Hogwarts. I decided then that I wanted to be with her, and only her, for the rest of my life. She's the one," James finished.

Remus gawked. "Do you have a ring?"

James dug deep into his pocket and pulled out the case which concealed the ring. He opened it and lying on the velvet cushion sat a sparkling diamond engagement ring with small flowers engraved in thin red bands around where the diamond sat.

"You go all out don't you?" Remus laughed, examining the ring.

"For her I do," James smiled, taking the ring back.

"Who would have thought, James Potter, married at 19?" Sirius smiled, coming back to himself. "Let me see this ring," he held his hand out. James pulled it back out of his pocket and handed it to Sirius to inspect.

"How are you planning on giving it to her?" Sirius watched as the diamond reflected the light.

"That's a secret," he replied with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, come on, like we're going to tell her?" Sirius handed him back the ring.

"Okay, okay," James kept his voice quiet and hushed as he explained how exactly he was going to give the ring to Lily.

----------------

Lily and James sat rather comfortably in the formal dining room of _Le Sabastian_. There was the soft twinkle of music playing in the background accompanied by the faint murmuring voices of the other people sharing the room with them.

"Are you sure you can afford this James?" Lily looked at the menu cautiously. "The appetizers are twenty pounds alone."

"Relax," James soothed her. "I've told you, tonight we're celebrating."

"And about that, what are we celebrating?" Lily asked looking around. "You never told me."

"You'll see," James sang unfolding his menu and examining the entrées. Lily became more puzzled, but settled on his statement and ordered her food.

They talked and ate over dinner, and when it came time for dessert, they shared a giant sundae.

"You still never told me what we're celebrating," Lily reminded him as they took a walk through the vacant park, across the road from _Le Sebastian_, the stars twinkling above and the crescent moon hanging low.

James scooped her in his arms and asked, "Do you really want to know?"

Lily giggled a small, "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"James, just tell me! I'm dying to know what's going on with you!" Lily laughed. "You're acting so strange!"

James got down on one knee. Lily continued laughing. "What are you doing?" she smiled, and pulled on his arm to bring him back to his feet. He stayed still.

"James," Lily continued to blush. Now she really wasn't sure what was going on. The only time she had known any man to get down on their knee was when they were going to propose. Surely he wasn't going to propose to her.

"Lily Evans," James took her left hand in his and reached into his pocket with his right hand. Lily held her breath. This was too crazy to happen to her.

James sucked in his breath as he pulled out the golden snitch from his pocket. "Will you marry me?"

In the palm of his hand, the snitch opened up and inside the half-sphere sat the most gorgeous ring Lily had ever seen in her whole life. She was breathless. James didn't just propose to her? This must be a dream….

She tried to give her answer, but ever time the word became stuck in her throat.

"Lily?" James was becoming nervous. She was going to tell him no.

Lily tore her eyes away from the ring which sat in the snitch still glistening in the moonlight, and her forest green eyes found James's hazel ones.

"Yes," she said barely above a whisper a smile breaking on her lips.

"Yes!" she jumped into his arms and kissed him a million times and more.

James had to tear her away from him so that he could place the ring on her finger. Tears welled in her eyes as he slid the ring onto her left hand.

* * *

sorry it took so long!

i had so much work, and i plain old forgot i even was doing this story.

i know, you can hit me later.

it's almost done, there's still a little bit left. i think somewhere around three chapters left.

omg. i love transformers.


	51. The Years Fly By

Chapter 51 The Years Fly By 

It was Christmas and Lily was cooking dinner in the kitchen when James came home to their little cottage in Godric's Hallow; it had already been over a year since they got married in James's parent's backyard. Their home was decorated festively for the holidays.

"Padfoot's here!" James chimed out as he walked through the door followed closely by Sirius, each of their arms laden with grocery bags.

"Lily!" James exclaimed, his voice full of concern as he dropped the bags onto the counter. "You know you shouldn't be doing anything stressful!"

Lily jumped in shock at the suddenness of James's voice, and then rolled her eyes. "Honestly James, I'm three months pregnant, not dying. I can, at the very least, cook."

"All the same," he smiled pulling her away from the fire, and taking the spoon from her.

"What are we cooking anyway?" Sirius stuck his nose over the pot and took a whiff. "Smells delicious."

Lily took the spoon back from James and replied, "Thank you Padfoot." She continued to add in more ingredients. "When's Remus getting here?"

"Who knows?" Sirius shrugged. "It's been hard keeping track of him lately."

"Padfoot," James muttered a warning for Sirius to be mindful of his thoughts.

"What?" Sirius became offended. "I'm only saying that no one knows where he goes to anymore."

"Where is he_supposed _to go? It's not like people are willing to be his neighbors," James defended loyally.

"All the same, you know what I think about him," he stubbornly answered.

"Really, I don't understand why you don't trust him Padfoot, he's always trusted us." James opened a cabinet and put away some of the groceries.

"But is trust enough anymore? You know what Voldemort's offering werewolves these days," Sirius pensively proclaimed.

"Sirius!" Lily gapped from the stove. "You're supposed to be his _friend_!"

"I am! But someone's obviously spying against the Order!"

Lily spoke before James could, "I don't believe it's Moony. It would never be him. He doesn't even _like_ being a werewolf."

"He might like it better with Voldemort ruling," he prompted.

"No," James had heard enough. "It's not Moony. He wouldn't betray anyone of us."

"So you think it's Peter then?" Sirius sarcastically asked.

"No. _It's not any of us_, Sirius," James frowned.

"Incidentally Sirius, it sounds like you're more than willing to find out about this spy," Lily accused.

"So what? I want to stop Voldemort, not help him!"

"Well you have a pretty shady background too, don't you?" she threw at him.

"I haven't even talked to my family in five years!" he shouted in outrage.

"And Remus, as far as we're aware of, has never talked to another werewolf," she reasoned. Sirius gapped at her. "Just give it a rest Sirius. It will take nothing less than stone solid facts to make us believe that Remus is a spy for Voldemort."

Sirius made to retaliate, but the doorbell rung. Lily ran to get it. Standing on her front porch was Remus, looking incredibly tired and careworn.

"Remus!" Lily exclaimed giving him a hug. "It's been too long!" He patted her gently on the back.

"How's the Potter Junior?" Remus asked, glancing at her stomach.

Lily gave a chuckle as they stepped into the kitchen with James and Sirius whose conversation came to an immediate halt upon their entrance.

"Fine, fine. Potter Junior is doing just wonderful," Lily smiled.

"Messer Moony," James bowed.

"Messer Prongs, Messer Padfoot," he bowed back to each of them. His two friends raced over to welcome him.

"How have you been?" James took in his friend's appearance.

"Oh…" he faltered, "You know…." He didn't meet their gaze.

"Here Moony," Lily laid out a bowl of hot soup for him to eat.

"Thank you," he sighed, "but I couldn't."

"Nonsense!" Lily cried, "look at you! You're nothing but skin and bones."

"That's Lily's mom instincts kicking in," James murmured to him. "You better do as she says, or she'll put you in time out."

"Can she do that?" Remus laughed.

"She did it to me last night," James smiled. "From the way it sounded, you'd think jumping on the bed was a bad thing, or something."

The three boys chuckled as they took their seats at the table.

Remus spooned some soup into his mouth, took a swallow, and then asked, "Peter's coming later then?"

"Actually," James sighed. "He never even responded. I have no idea what's up with him."

"Frank and Alice are coming!" Lily smiled. "And Rini said she's coming too!"

"Yes! A full house!" Sirius exclaimed like the party boy he truly was deep down inside.

Christmas was a very cheerful event. Lily was so surprised to find out that Alice was also three months pregnant with her and Frank's first child. Lily had to admit that she was very surprised with how mature Sirius and Catherine had acted towards each other the whole night; neither had spoken since their mutually agreed upon breakup right before she had left for the states; that is until now.

Around nine o'clock, Peter finally showed up, brushing off the snow from his hair and shoulders as he stepped across the crowded threshold muttering a soft, "Sorry I'm late," though no one seemed to care. James, Sirius, and Remus were all too drunk to even recognize Peter at first. They all thought he was Santa Clause who had come to bring them their presents and so they scavenged through his robes looking for their gifts.

* * *

... a nice little reunion. they were all in need of one lol ... 


End file.
